Stratagem
by Sperare
Summary: This picks up during Commencement. It details what could have happened if Clark had run in when Jason was threatening to shoot Martha and Jonathan, and the meteor shower was on its way. CHLARK
1. Chapter 1

"Mom! Dad!" Fear rippled through his veins, for he'd seen that their truck was still there. "Mom! Dad!" he repeated, fear growing inside of him. Throwing open the door, he heard him mother's whimpers and his father's pleas.

"Jason, why don't you let Martha go? She doesn't know anything about any of this."

Jason? Why would Jason be there? Without thinking, he threw open the door and ran to the living room. He could have sworn that his heart stopped beating when he saw Jason and the gun he was brandishing. He panicked even more when he saw the gun was being pointed at his mother, who was tying his father to a chair.

"No!" he shouted, running forward.

Jason swung around to face him. "Where the Hell are you keeping the stones, Kent!"

"The stones? I-I don't know what you're talking about!"

Jason shot a bullet into the ceiling, causing Martha to shriek. "What is it with you people! Just tell me where the stones are!"

"Jason, there's a meteor shower heading for Smallville! You've got to get out of here!" Jonathan tried to protest.

"Shut up!" he shouted. "I'm gonna find those stones. If I find them some meteor shower isn't going to matter! I'll have whatever power I need."

"Jason, you can't find them if your dead," Clark added, following his father's lead.

In reply Jason only cocked the gun and aimed it at Martha. "I swear if you don't tell me I'll put a bullet through her right now, meteor shower of no meteor shower."

"Put he gun down," Clark protested. "Put it down."

In a fit of anger Jason took the gun and whipped Martha in the face with it, sending her flying backwards. "Mom!" Clark shouted.

"Martha!" Jonathan yelled.

Clark started forward, but Jason yelled, "Move and I'll shoot her! You're dad too. You can be an orphan twice over."

Clark stopped. Jonathan started to speak again. "This isn't worth dieing over, Jason. What about your mother? Shouldn't you be getting her to safety?"

"I don't know where she is!" he screamed. "You people are so stupid!"

A sudden rumbling interrupted everyone. With the exception of Martha, who was unconscious, everyone looked to the roof. The only warning that they had of the imminent hit was the splinter of wood and the huge 'boom' as the meteor ripped through wood like it was melted butter.

Clark went into super-speed, throwing himself over his mother, causing the meteor to shatter on his back as boards and beams fell around him. Martha was shielded from the brunt of the assault, but Clark couldn't tell how badly his father had been hit by the falling debris. He didn't even know where Jason was.

He was about to get up and check on his dad when he felt the sickening, gut-wrenching pain. He opened and closed his mouth helplessly as he fell in a heap beside his mother. His skin was burning and his blood boiled. It hurt so much and he was helpless to move away from it, being pinned as he was by a beam that, he choked when he realized it, had driven splinters through the flesh of his side.

Clark blacked out.


	2. Chapter 2

"Wake up, Kent, damn you."

Clark blinked and opened his eyes. He groaned when the pain washed over him, and he saw the fresh meteor rocks pulsing slightly in the background. The splinters in his side were sending angry tendrils of pain though him, and he felt hot all over.

"Where are the stones!" Jason shouted into his face.

"Huh?" His mind wasn't coherent. And then he saw his mother and suddenly he was, with a vicious will to stay awake. "Momma!" He managed to flip over, shrieking at the pain when he ripped away from the beam, and grabbing his mother.

She was warm, thank God. Still alive…for now. He was clinging to her like a lifeline, but Jason was grabbing him, his face even bloodier than it had been before the meteor hit, and he was dragging him away from his mother. But no, his mother needed him! "Mom! Dad! Let go!" he shrieked, trying to break free from Jason's hold and crawl back to his mother. The rocks continued to pulse slightly.

Jason noticed that they glowed brighter when Clark was nearer to them.

"What the Hell? You really are different, aren't you Kent?" he accused, picking up a rock and holding it close to Clark's face. Clark whimpered and tried to pull back. "That hurt?"

"My mom," he muttered pain in every bit of his being.

Jason gave a sadistic laugh and shoved a rock into Clark's pocket. "There's something really different about you. It's got something to do with the stones."

"L-let go," Clark choked out. His parents needed him! Why was Jason moving him?

Jason hooked his arms under Clark's and began to pull him from the rubble of the house. "Mom! Dad!" Clark protested weakly.

In what felt like a second later he was dumped carelessly onto the ground, his head striking something metal. Then a moment later Jason was lifting him again and he was being placed into a truck-his family's truck. Clark cried out for his parents again, but his only answer was the slamming of the door next to him. Before he could stop himself, he felt his body slip sideways so that his head rested against the cool glass of the window. The rock in his pocket was still boiling his blood.

The other door opened and then slammed shut again. Clark felt the seat shift under him, but he was too weak to turn his head. He wanted to cry, wanted to scream for his parents, but he was just too weak-and getting weaker. He couldn't do it. Even keeping his eyes open was a chore. Desperation rose in him as he felt the truck start beneath him. Jason must have taken the keys from his dad. Did that mean his dad was dead?

The truck lurched forward and Clark was tossed forward, the seatbelt jerking him up short. His body was alternating between hot and very cold now, except for his side which was wet and warm. Had he sat it water, he wondered? He didn't think he had. His thoughts, he realized, were taking the fast track to delusional.

The fields were rolling by outside his window as he fought to keep his eyes open. He had to keep his eyes open, had to find out where he was going so that if he was able to make a call he could give directions. But if his parents were dead who would he call?

"Mom," he whimpered again.

He heard Jason snort softly before he felt a hand grab his hair and slam it brutally into the dash board until he was seeing stars, and then darkness. His last feeling was that of his body slumping against the door again, his head falling against his chest. The meteor rock continued to set his blood on fire.

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Clark felt himself waking up slowly. Everything hurt. A dull ache had settled in where the nauseating pain had been only a while before. The part of his side that had been pierced with the beam throbbed and his head felt as though there was a rock concert going on inside it.

"Good, you're awake," a voice growled roughly, seizing him and pulling him upright.

"Ahh," he moaned, nausea and vertigo taking over. The nausea overcame him and he spilled the contents of his stomach onto the floor.

"Get it together, Kent. I need to know where those stones are. I know you know, and you're going to tell me."

"I don't know what-"

A harsh smack across the face silenced him. "Are you stupid or just stubborn?" Jason spat out.

"Why are you doing this?" he asked, opening his eyes and trying to look around. The room was dark and he was lying on a bed. There were no windows and the only other distinguishable characteristic about the room was the chair beside Clark's bed.

"My mother is dead, Clark. You want to know who killed her?" Clark didn't reply and Jason grabbed him by the neck and shook him roughly, "Do you!" he screamed into his face, before shoving him backwards on the bed. For the first time Clark realized that his hands were bound together. "Lana did," he whispered. "And when I find her I'll kill her for it. Then, when I get the stones, I'll bring my mom back to life."

"How do you know the stones will do that?" he gasped out, the effort it took to talk draining him.

"Because they are a source of knowledge that will be amazing! It's got to have the knowledge of how to resurrect the dead in there!"

"And if-if it doesn't?"

"Than you and everyone you love are going to pay."

"What-w-why?"

"Because that's just the way it's going to be."

"M-my parents." His voice was quickly beginning to fail him. His strength was ebbing away at an alarming rate.

"We'll see."

"W-what?"

Jason said nothing, but only walked out of the room. Clark heard the sound of a door locking behind him.

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Lex had never seen so much death and destruction in his life. He hadn't seen the results from the first meteor shower since he'd been unconscious in the hospital, but if it was anything like this was, he was pretty sure that was a good thing.

Death.

Destruction.

Annihilation.

He saw bodies half charred, lying on the side of the road. Cars were overturned, their drivers handing upside down, clearly dead as well. Death was everywhere. The smell hung in the air like a smothering cloud. And he should know what fresh death felt like; after all, he'd just taken in Lana Lang at the mansion.

Lex drove towards the Kent farm in the midst of it all. Something had been wrong with Clark before the meteor shower and Lex wanted to be sure he was alright. He'd already found Lana in shock on the highway. He'd already stolen a space ship that day, now standing to gain a huge profit. So he'd left Lana at the mansion and had headed to the Kent farm to see if his best friend-his only friend-was alright.

He was not prepared for the sight that met him when he arrived. The barn was perfectly fine, but the quaint, yellow farm house, which had always been a symbol of warmth and home to Lex, had a gapping, smoking hole in its roof.

He was out of the car before he'd even realized that he was moving. "Mr. Kent! Mrs. Kent! Clark!" he shouted. Nothing, absolutely nothing. They say silence is deafening, and Lex decided that he thought that statement had never been more true than at that moment.

He forced open the front door and found that his stomach did a flip-flop at what he saw. There were broken boards everywhere and a great gapping hold in the floor, not to mention the new skylight that had popped up unintentionally. "Is anybody here?" he called.

"Uh, r-right he-here!" a voice called out weakly. Jonathan Kent. After all the times that man had dumped on Lex, he knew he'd recognize the voice anywhere.

"Mr. Kent!" he shouted, hurrying towards the voice on the other side of the room.

Jonathan Kent was not in the best shape he'd ever been in. He was bruised and bloody, ropes still tangling around his limbs, constricting his movements. "G-get Martha and Clark," he croaked out.

Lex ignored him but instead leaned down and undid the ropes, pulling him out of the rubble. "Where are Mrs. Kent and Clark?"

"Over there," he told him, with a nod of his head. Lex moved over to where Jonathan had nodded and was appalled to see the amount of blood...but for some reason there was a trail of blood leading away from Martha. Not thinking about what it could mean for the moment, Lex knelt down and felt for a pulse. Though it was faint, he found one.

"She's alive!" he yelled to Mr. Kent.

"You-You've got to get her to a h-hospital."

"I'll call an ambulance for both you and her. Now where's Clark!"

"I-I don't know. He should be t-there next to his m-mother!"

For the first time the trail of blood registered in Lex's mind with a frightening prominence. Running back over to Mr. Kent, he knelt down so that he could be even with him and asked, "Was there anyone here when the shower hit?"

"J-Jason Teague. Just get Martha and Clark help."

"Clark's not here, Mr. Kent!" Lex tried to tell him.

What little color was left in Mr. Kent's face drained. "W-what?"

"He's gone," Lex repeated. "All that's left is trail of blood."

"No, he-Jason-Clark-you've got to find him, Lex," Jonathan managed to pant out before his physical condition just became too much for him and he passed out. Though his chest felt tight, Lex pulled out his cell phone and called for an ambulance.

Glancing back at the trail of blood, his chest got tighter. There was no way Jonathan was correct. He'd seen Jason die-except he'd never seen the body and if there was one thing he should know now it was that no dead, lifeless body meant that the person was not certainly dead. Jason's words right before he fell off the cliff came back to him.

_But not as much as you've been protecting your best friend, huh? Clark?_

_Oh, you don't believe that. Clark's more connected to this than any of us. You just choose to ignore it. I mean, think about it...the symbols burned into the Kent barn? The fields? _

_Why can't you see what's right in front of your face, Lex? It's Clark. He's—_

What if Jason had done something to Clark? He looked around the house again as he waited to hear sirens in the distance. A bad feeling had settled in his stomach.


	3. Chapter 3

I saw a review today that reminded me that I needed to thank Lotornomiko for the idea for this story. It was a really great idea! Thanks!

As for those holding out for CHLARK, just be patient. It's going to be a few more chapters, but I promise It'll pop up.

In the meantime **_review!_**

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After he'd gotten the Kents to the hospital, Lex had collected a blood sample from the trail on the floor. What that had revealed to him had confirmed everything he'd ever thought about Clark Kent.

His scientists had never seen anything like it. The blood was undoubtedly not human. It reacted by boiling when meteor rocks were put near it and it seemed to have regenerative properties once the meteor rock was taken away. The scientists exact words had been, "Whomever this sample came from is indeed an unique individual."

Of course the man had been paid well for his silence, but at this point it didn't matter because there was no Clark to protect. It had been a full day and Clark was still missing. There was no sign of Jason Teague.

Worry ate at Lex. Martha was in critical condition in the hospital, Jonathan Kent had a broken leg, his own father was in a catatonic state, and Clark was completely AWOL. For what felt like the thousandth time that day, Lex paced his study again, glass of scotch in hand.

Nothing was going right for him.

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"Hungry?" Jason asked gruffly as he strode into the room where Clark was, food in hand.

Clark barely had enough strength to open his eyes. Meteor rocks pulsed from all sides of the room, keeping him on the bed as effectively as the strongest chains would have. "N-no," he mumbled. "W-water."

Jason sighed and held a glass to his lips. Clark swallowed greedily. "Alright, Clark, now how about we stop playing games and you tell me where the stones are."

"M-my parents," he croaked out.

"Are in the hospital. Lex Luthor found them and got them help. Now I'm really loosing patience here! Tell me about the stones!"

"I-I don't know."

Jason punched Clark hard in the gut, leaving him gasping for air. "Yes you do!" he screamed.

Clark shut his eyes tightly and tried to block out everything. "No," he whimpered. This was his worst nightmare come true.

"Yes!" Jason corrected angrily. "Yes!"

"I-I don't have w-what you want, J-Jason."

"No, you do, you're just not willing to give it to me." Jason looked a bit better, Clark reflected. His face was cleaned of the blood that had marred it only a day earlier and he was wearing clothing that wasn't torn. Yet, Clark thought, there was a wild look to his eyes, like a man possessed. "What does it take to get you to talk?"

"I've got n-nothing fo-for you."

Jason leaned down close to his face. "You do. I know you know about the stones." In a flash of movement, Jason grabbed Clark's hair and yanked him off the bed. Clark stumbled as Jason continued to yank his hair, trying to get him to move. Finally he just gave up and collapsed to the floor. "Ahhh," he moaned.

Jason's foot came out of no where and collided with his stomach. Clark grunted and curled into a little ball, the wound burning on his side from where the beam had hit him during the meteor shower. "Tell me about the stones!"

Clark shut his eyes tightly. The foot struck again, this time to his back. This couldn't be happening. It simply couldn't.

"Tell me!"

"Th-there's nothing to t-tell!"

"Liar!" another kick and then another. "Liar, liar, liar, liar!" Jason continued to scream over and over and kick Clark more until Clark lost consciousness.

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Lex had been going over the results that his private team of investigators had given him from their perusal of the Kent Farm. "Signs of a struggle," Lex read with a groan. "Kidnapping likely."

Their other theory was that Clark had dragged himself away, but Lex had ruled that out immediately. Clark wouldn't leave his family like that and the amount of blood lost indicated that Clark wouldn't have gotten far. That wasn't to mention the splinters covered with blood, making the theory that Clark had been at least hit with a beam likely.

Jason Teague was still unaccounted for. Genevieve Teague was dead and Lana Lang was beside herself with horror that she'd killed a woman. With his father gone, though, it had been a breeze for Lex to cover it up. But what of her son?

It was the stones, Lex decided. Jason had been and, if he was alive, still was after the stones-and he believed that Clark had knowledge of them. And if Lex was completely honest with himself, he did as well.

Lex had seen Jason's face in that cabin. He would do what it took to find the elements. That was before the factor of grief over his mother's death got to him. What would he do as a grief maddened man?

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Clark awoke to the harsh glare of artificial light and the hard seat of a wooden chair. The bed was gone. Trying to move, he found that his hands were tied behind him, hooked around the chair.

The smell of mold and decay filtered into his nostrils as he slowly raised his head, which was throbbing with a vengeance. He moaned softly and forced down, through sheer force of will, the nausea that was rising in his throat.

The door creaked open, revealing Jason. "Haven't you had enough yet, Clark?" Jason asked harshly. "You can stop all this if you just,"-his voice raised abruptly-"tell me about the damn stones!"

"I don't know anything," Clark muttered.

Jason stepped forward, holding a syringe filled with green liquid. Clark flinched as the substance came nearer. "Are you sure?" he asked with a wicked smile, positioning the needle in the vein right below Clark's ear.

Clark looked up at him and, setting his face in a grimace of determination, said, "Yes."

Jason shoved the needle into his neck. The pain was so intense that Clark felt as though his head was going to burst. This was the pain of the meteor rocks, only they were literally in him-the serum had obviously been made with them.

Like fire it spread down his body until he could hear himself screaming and feel himself thrashing against the bonds that were holding him. It was pain like he'd never experienced it before, and he was certain this was the end-he was going to die.

And then it stopped and he was left, panting and hanging limply against the bonds holding him up, in the chair. The sound of his own ragged breathing scared him. The feeling of weakness that was encompassing him scared him as well.

"Tell me about the stones," Jason repeated.

"I don't know anything!" Clark protested, saying it with as much bravado as his currant state would allow. "I don't know."

Jason pulled out another needle. "You really don't want to do this again," he told him. "I assume that the pain will get worse every time you're injected. Just tell me about the stones and it will all stop."

"I-I don't know anything."

The needle was shoved into him again. Jason hadn't been lying-the pain was worse. If he'd thought that he was on fire before, he was now being consumed by a lick of Kryptonite flame. It was too much to handle.

But like before it stopped and he was left weak again, this time his body completely slumped against the restraints and his head hanging on his chest. "Think on what I've said, Clark," Jason advised before leaving the room, the door shutting with an ominous bang.

Too weak to support himself, Clark hung limply in the chair. He wanted it to stop, but he knew he couldn't give in. If he gave in Jason would destroy the earth as Jor-el had told him that any human who united the stones would do. He would give up his life if it meant saving the human race. He just hoped it wouldn't come to that.

---------------------------------

Lex hated hospitals. Every time he entered one all he could think about were his mother's last days. The faces of the doctors who had told him that his mommy was 'going to heaven and that she'd be very happy and everything would be alright', swam before him every time he walked through those automatic doors. How he'd hated those doctors. When his mother had died he'd been far too smart to believe that everything would be alright. He was being left with Lionel Luthor-he knew nothing would be alright again.

But he was here for Clark, because Clark's parents were in the hospital. Martha was still in critical condition, but Jonathan was out of the woods and therefore available to talk to-not that Lex was looking forward to it, especially considering what he had to say.

He pushed Jonathan Kent's door open and stepped quietly inside. The man in the bed looked far too weak, in Lex's opinion, to be the same man that was Clark's father. But then he supposed that having your wife nearly die and your son go missing did that to you. "Mr. Kent," he greeted him.

"Is Clark...?"

"Still not found." Lex pulled up a chair and sat down beside Jonathan. "Mr. Kent, if there is anything that you can tell me which might help me find your son, you have got to do it now."

Jonathan Kent was not a good actor (although decidedly better than his son), Lex decided, for the conflict of emotions that was washing over his face was far too obvious. "To bring him home, I've got to know," Lex added. "Was anyone at your house when the meteors hit?"

Jonathan sighed and finally said, "Jason Teague. I think I told you that back in the house."

Lex nodded. "Did he look any different?"

"What are you playing at, Lex?" Jonathan asked, his tone slightly demanding.

"It's just that I was fairly certain he was dead earlier in the day-by all rights he should have been dead."

"Well, whatever you did to him, he survived it, although he did look quite a lot worse for the ware when he turned up brandishing a gun at our house."

Lex ignored the accusation, however true, that he'd tried to kill Jason Teague. "He showed up with a shotgun?"

"Yeah. He-" Jonathan stopped talking immediately, obviously not wanting to disclose something.

"Mr. Kent, if you want your son back I need to know what he was after."

The man's jaw clenched so tightly that Lex thought it was going to break. It had never been clearer to Lex just how much Jonathan Kent distrusted him. Finally, after what seemed like hours to Lex, Jonathan said, "He thought that Clark knew where one of the stones was, and that we did by association."

"Do you?" Lex asked bluntly. In response to Jonathan's scathing look that would have had lesser men cowering, he added, "Surely you can't expect the whole town not to notice that Clark's...unique."

Jonathan's eyes narrowed angrily. "Is that why you're friends with him, Lex? Are you just waiting for him to slip up and reveal whatever it is that you think he's hiding?"

Lex felt his hands clench into fists of their own accord. This man always unnerved him in ways that only his own farther and Clark had the ability to do. "I'm friends with him because he is a good person-one of the best I've ever met-no matter what else he is. No matter what makes him different."

"If that's how you feel then why do you feel the need to find out his secrets?"

"Because I'm a man who dislikes not knowing and because by not knowing, things like what is currently happening take place. I can't cover up or protect what I don't know about."

"And would you cover anything up? Or would you exploit him?" Jonathan retorted, his face showing his anger at Lex's words.

Lex felt his stomach flip-flop. Jonathan Kent had just as good as admitted that, yes, Clark was hiding something. Lex had always suspected, but hearing it like that was still a shock. "I would never exploit Clark," Lex replied. "And I want to help find him, but unless you tell me what you know I'm not sure how much I can do."

"There's nothing unique about Clark," Jonathan maintained.

"Are you willing to let your son's life ride on that statement?" Lex retorted. He thought he saw a flicker of doubt in Jonathan's eyes. "Because you know, Mr. Kent, I think it may just come down to that."

"Thanks, but I think it would be best if you stayed out of our families problems," Jonathan replied coolly.

Lex only nodded. "Of course, but remember that I'm always willing to help if you should want me to." Jonathan said nothing in reply as Lex exited the room. Once his back was turned Lex smiled. He had no intention of dropping the issue, no matter what he told Jonathan Kent.


	4. Chapter 4

I saw that everyone was kind of confused about if Clark knew about the stones or not. The answer to that is that, yes, he does. He knows everything that he knew at that point in commencement, except where the stone in Lex's office is.

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Lex had wanted to come home to a quiet house where he could take some more time to find Clark. Instead, he had to deal with Lana. The girl was either in shock, or the meteor shower had made her crazy. All her talk about ships and aliens was not what Lex needed right then. Lex was leaning towards the former, since Lana really didn't strike him as crazy, no matter what the circumstance.

"I-what about Jason?"

The words made Lex cringe. If there was one thing he didn't need right then, it was more talk about Jason. "Trust me, Lana," he said tiredly "Jason is not interested in you at the moment."

"I murdered his mother, Lex!"

"But he doesn't know that."

"But she was his mother! We've got to tell him."

Lex was loosing patience fast. Her failure to think outside her own problems had always been her flaw. Now, granted, killing someone was enough to make anyone hysterical, but she hadn't even inquired about anyone else in the meteor shower. In fact, she hadn't really asked about Jason, she'd just gone on and on about how she'd killed his mother.

Lex gently took her hands and sat her down on the couch. "Do not worry about Jason. He can more than take care of himself right now."

"Is there something you're not telling me?" she asked, her eyes narrowing suspiciously.

Lex thought there ought to have been some kind of flashing lights; a courteously paid to those who didn't noticed the obvious. "Nothing you need to worry yourself with right now, Lana."

"It's about Jason, isn't it? Has something happened to him?"

"Let's just say he's not himself," Lex replied, getting up from the couch and going to his desk.

"Is he alright?" she asked, concerned.

Lex couldn't take it anymore. Jason had betrayed her in so many ways and yet, here she was, all worried about him and not at all about those who really cared for her. "Look, Lana," he finally said impatiently. "Jason was more obsessed with those stones than you ever knew. Right before the meteor shower, he kidnapped me and my father and tortured us for information. He'll stop at nothing to get what he wants."

Lana put a hand to her mouth as her eyes became wide with shock. "No, no, he wouldn't do that."

Lex didn't feel he had time to play this game. "Yes, he would, and he did. He also betrayed you. He was the one who sent his mother after you. He was how she knew you had the stone. He wasn't the man you thought he was."

Tears clouded her eyes. "I thought he really cared about me."

Lex gave her a sympathetic look, because he sincerely felt bad for her. She did seem to have an issue with people she cared about either dieing or betraying her. "Maybe he did, but sometimes the thirst for power clouds our vision of everything else."

She nodded as she began to cry. "W-where is he n-now?" she managed to choke out.

If there was one thing he didn't need, it was Lana pining about Clark, whom, since she was now no longer interested in Jason, she would undoubtedly return to. He was her safety net. Clark deserved better, Lex thought.

"I don't know," he said, and it really wasn't a lie. He knew _what _Jason was doing, but not _where_ he was doing it. "Look, it's getting late. Why don't you head to bed? The defense attorney should be here in a day or two."

Lana nodded, still sniffling. "Thanks, Lex," she said as she left the room.

Lex did not reply. Instead he went back to his paperwork.

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"Hungry, Clark?" Jason asked, striding into the room with a bowl of what looked to be chicken noodle soup in his hand.

Clark raised his head and looked at him weakly. "It's been days since you've eaten," Jason told him, his tone mildly deriding as he walked behind Clark's chair and un-cuffed his hands. He left on the chains that kept Clark's ankles secured to the chair and placed the bowl of soup in Clark's lap.

Clark looked at it, the smell drifting up towards him. It had been days since he'd eaten and he was so incredibly hungry. The soup smelled so good. Surely eating wasn't bad? He had to eat if he wanted any hope of getting out of here. Timidly, he brought the spoon to his mouth. The warm, soupy mixture filled his mouth and he thought he might never have tasted anything so good. When he swallowed it was like a warmth was spreading through him.

Once he started he couldn't help but begin to gulp it down, being too hungry to make it last. Jason laughed at the spectacle before him. "Guess you were hungry," he chuckled as Clark finished the soup off. "How about you tell me where that stone is and I'll get you some more?"

"You've injected me with painful drugs, beaten me, and physically hurt me in just about every way possible, and you think that offering me food is going to make me lie and tell you something I know nothing about?" The lie could have been pulled off seamlessly but for the slight tightening of his jaw.

Jason caught the gesture and shook his head. "I can read people well, Kent. I can do it almost as well as your buddy, Lex Luthor. We were both raised by parents who wanted us to be strong and to come out on top. I can tell that you're lying to me."

"I'm not. I don't know anything about the stones."

Abruptly Jason grabbed the bowl off of Clark's lap and then pulled back and hurled it at the wall. "You know something; you're just not talking!" He reared his fist back and slammed it into Clark's face, starting a flow of blood from his nose. "And you'll tell me soon."

He walked around behind Clark's chair and chained his hands securely behind him once again. As he headed towards the door he turned and glared. "I will find what I'm after." He slammed the door after him, leaving Clark to try to fight his way through the violent nosebleed that had started.

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Lex sat at his desk going over the evidence from the Kent farm again. There had to be something he'd missed, he reasoned. Boys didn't just disappear and Jason wasn't that skilled a criminal. Or maybe desperation had made him skilled?

The papers and his own visual perusal told him that there had been some sort of struggle or forced abduction, seeing as traces of Clark's blood could be found all the way out into the driveway where they just..._stopped_. That led the detectives and Lex to believe that Clark had been taken by car, and when it had been found that the Kent's truck was gone their suspicions were confirmed.

Why the Kents had been left unscathed by anything other than the meteor shower was a mystery. The only clear assumption that Lex could make was that Jason clearly thought that Clark was the one with the knowledge.

But what had Jason wanted? The stones was the theory that Lex was currently nursing, but somewhere in the back of his brain he believed that there was more to Clark than that-and that worried him. What if Jason found out that Clark wasn't normal, as in un-normal in the ways Lex suspected him to be. If and when that happened Clark would end up in a lab somewhere, his body in Petri dishes.

The blood.

The wave of terror washed over Lex. Clark's blood. The blood on the ground. The blood that would most likely flow from Clark because of Jason. His blood was an open book and if Jason had a stroke of brilliance and used it, Clark would be done for.

Lex immediately stood up from his desk and headed for his garage. Sometimes the only way to beat the enemy was to be a step ahead of them in the game. It sure was a good thing he knew how to analyze blood, he reflected.

----------------------------

"Are you sure there's nothing you'd like to tell me about Clark, Mr. Kent?"

Jonathan groaned when he saw it was Lex at the hospital door again. "Didn't you just ask me that yesterday? Surely you don't think it could have changed that quickly?"

"You weren't being honest with me yesterday, and you're not being honest with me now."

"Lex, I've already told you: Stay out of our family's business!" Jonathan ordered, his voice rising.

Lex could feel his anger mounting as well as the level of his voice. This man's pride made him foolish. "And what if it costs Clark his life? Can you live with that? Is spiting me worth your son's life?"

"There is nothing you can do for Clark," Jonathan shot back.

"I had the blood on the ground tested," Lex said simply.

"You son of a bitch! How dare you pry into something like that!" His voice was a full out holler now.

"I dare, because I know that Jason Teague will dare to as well. If he finds out just what your son is than Clark's going to end up in a lab somewhere."

Jonathan paled slightly. "And just what are you suggesting that he is?"

"Clark? He's certainly not human. His blood cell make up was like nothing that I've ever seen and I doubt that I'm the only one who would say that. In fact I don't think anyone has seen anything like Clark. I think he came down in the meteor shower and I also think that it was his blood that was Helen's office a few years ago. It was his blood that resurrected the dead."

"It was not your place to pry into that!"

"And do you think Jason Teague will care about that? Clark's blood has the power to _resurrect the dead_! Jason's mother just died! Surely you can make the connection!"

Jonathan's face finally fell. "And what do you suggest that I do?"

Lex smiled grimly. "Let me help. This is far more of a complicated situation than you may realize."

"What do you mean?" Jonathan asked, exasperation beginning to show on the lines of his face-lines that seemed to have gotten a lot deeper in the passed few days.

"I mean that Jason knows Clark is different. Who knows how much he knows, but any knowledge is dangerous. If he tells the world about Clark..."

"Then people will remember all that Clark had done and they'll make the connections and..." His voice trailed off and he had the good grace to look stricken.

"Exactly. I need to talk with Mrs. Kent about this as well, but I think the best course of action is to find out just what Jason knows."

"And how do you propose we do that?"

"I've played the double agent before. I think the only shot we have is for me to masquerade as Jason's partner."

"How are you going to let Clark now that you're doing that? And what even makes you think Jason will accept your help?"

"Jason will accept my help because I suspect that he's going to need some cash to pull off this operation. Now granted he will try to double-cross me, but I think that in a battle of deceit I'll come out on top."

"You didn't answer my first question-how are you going to let Clark know?"

Lex dropped his eyes to the floor. "Clark isn't the best of actors. The plan may work best if he thinks that I truly am against him."

Jonathan looked furious. "You can't do that to him!"

"If it's between his life and his momentary peace of mind, well, I've already made my decision. You've got to make yours."

Jonathan took a deep breath and then exhaled slowly, his stress evident. "His life."

Lex only nodded. "Let me go talk to Mrs. Kent and then I'll see about getting in contact with Jason." Jonathan nodded slightly and Lex left the room. Once he was gone, Jonathan slumped against his pillows. What was his son about to go through?


	5. Chapter 5

"How are you feeling, Mrs. Kent?" Lex asked as he opened the door to her room slowly.

Martha turned towards him and smiled softly. She looked so weak that Lex felt terrible about dumping such a plan on her, but he knew he would need her strength to help pull it off. "Better." She paused. "It's good to see you. I'm told that you were the one who called the ambulance. Thank you."

"It was the least I could do for all that you've done for me."

She nodded and looked away.

"Mrs. Kent, I know you're worried about Clark."

"How can I not be, Lex?" she asked with a sigh. "He's my baby-my only child."

"And we're going to get him back."

"I thought you might have a plan," she replied with a soft grin. "Clark's lucky to have you as a friend."

Lex smiled at that comment, greatly appreciating it after his previous conversation with the patriarch of the Kent household. "You're certainly more receptive to my ideas than your husband." He couldn't quite keep the bitterness out of his voice.

She laughed a little. "Don't mind Jonathan. When someone he loves is in danger he gets defensive. He only wants what's best for Clark and to him you're the one person in Clark's group of friends that could really have a strong influence over his son. It scares him, especially given your family history. And what happened last year with that room...I have to say even I thought for a while that maybe you really were..."

"Out to exploit Clark? Mrs. Kent, you've got to believe me when I say that it was just the need to know, not the need to use what I'd find out. Besides, I knew something was different about Clark and I wanted to stop this from happening. I guess it backfired magnificently."

"So you know then?"

"Everything? No. I'll leave that to Clark to tell me once he's safe."

"And how do you intend to bring him home safely?"

"I'm sure that you're aware that it's more than likely Jason Teague took him?"

"More than likey? I'd say certain."

Lex smiled. He had long ago begun to see how her shrewd common sense had attracted his father to her. She really did have a brilliant mind. "I believe that Mr. Teague would be willing to...collaborate with me, if I were to put forth funds."

"Are you saying you'd pretend to work against Clark? To be one of the ones who was trying to use him?"

"It would only be a guise, of course."

She nodded knowingly. "Because if he were to tell the world what he knows Clark would be in trouble. It most certainly is a delicate situation."

Lex inwardly grinned again. She really was a smart lady and so much easier to deal with than her husband. "The only downfall is that, well, Clark can't know that I'm not really against him."

A spark of doubt crept into her face. "Why?"

"Because your son's a terrible actor. He'd look at me with relief whenever I entered the room. He'd expose the secret through his facial expressions. He has to remain ignorant. You've got to understand that Jason is almost as good at ready people as I am."

She looked paler than she had a minute ago. "How long?"

"How long will it take to get him out?" he asked.

"Yes," she confirmed, staring at the ceiling, obviously imagining the pain her son was about to endure in thinking that his best friend had betrayed him.

"It's impossible to tell. Jason has to become a non-threat. I've no idea how long it will take for me to set him up-I think to make him appear crazy will be the best route."

"Yes, yes, that's our only chance, save for murder and I won't let you do that. Clark wouldn't want that."

Lex nodded. "I know and that's the only thing that's stopping a bullet from going into Jason Teague's brain."

Martha sighed and then nodded towards the door. "Go. But promise me you'll try to make whatever he's going through at least a little more bearable, even if he doesn't know that you're doing it for him."

Lex nodded and headed for the door. "I promise."

"Good," she whispered before she closed her eyes.

Lex turned the light off as he left the room and shut the door. As he was walking down the hallway his stomach clenched at the thought of what he was about to do.

------------------------------

Getting a hold of Jason Teague wasn't going to be easy. Lex was still trying to track down where he could possibly be when the door to his office swung open. Lex sighed when he saw who it was.

"What do you want, Chloe?"

"I want to know where Clark is." Her eyes were cold as steel and her posture clearly told that she was a force to be reckoned with right then.

"What makes you think I know where he is?" Lex asked, quite put out.

"I don't think you know where he is, but I _know_ that you're trying to find him. I want to help."

Lex pinched the bridge of his nose. "Chloe, of course I'm looking for him. He's my best friend."

"But you've got a plan," she said knowingly.

"What makes you say that?"

"Oh please, Lex. I went over to the Kent farm to do a little snooping myself. There were men over there and they wouldn't let me near it."

"Probably just the police."

"The police wouldn't send out a team of forensic scientists this soon. They'd probably assume he was vaporized by the meteor or something. Besides, the police always wait forty-eight hours before they really start to investigate."

Lex nodded. "So you think those were my men?"

"I'm sure those were your men." She approached his desk and leaned over it, placing her hands on its surface. "I want to help Clark."

"Chloe, I sense you're not telling me something here."

"Yeah? Well maybe I'll open up when you do." Lex had to hand it to her; she was going to be a good reporter. "Besides, why do you think I'm hiding anything at all?" she asked, mocking Lex's earlier denial even though she knew it was blatantly obvious that she wasn't telling Lex everything.

"Because you've automatically assumed Clark was kidnapped. Yet-if what you say about my security people is true-you haven't been to the farm to check the evidence."

She smirked. "Then you're aware that your men are there twenty-four hours a day, keeping people away?"

He only smiled suavely. "You say that I do."

"I _know_ that you do. Don't play games with me."

He really did laugh this time. Her spunk never ceased to amuse him. "If you haven't seen the evidence you've got no reason to think Clark didn't just run away."

"Clark wouldn't do that."

"No? Explain his summer in Metropolis then."

Chloe bit her bottom lip, obviously cornered. "We both know Clark didn't disappear, Lex."

"You're right, of course. But I think we've got the same reason for thinking that way, even though I've seen the solid evidence."

"What are you playing at?"

"I don't think you believe that Clark _could be_ kidnapped."

Her brow furrowed and though her acting skills were good, they weren't good enough for the man whom had been taught since the age of two to ferret out people who were being less than truthful. "What do you mean?"

"I mean that you really don't think that anyone could physically overpower Clark enough to abduct him."

"That's crazy," she said with a laugh. Lex had to admit, she was convincing. "I know Clark is our star quarter back and a pretty strong guy, but he can be sucker punched just as easily as the next guy."

"Chloe, if you want Clark to come home safe you've got to tell me what you know."

"This is always about his secrets for you, isn't it?" she accused angrily. "Are you just trying to find out what he's hiding? Did _you_ kidnap him?"

She obviously knew, Lex decided. "I most certainly didn't kidnap Clark, but I know who did."

"And how could you know that?" she asked suspiciously.

"Because I've talked with the Kents and I had a run in with him right before the meteor shower. I don't know how he did it yet, because we both know that Clark is ten times stronger than the average man. That's how he ripped the roof off my Porsche."

"Clark's just a normal guy, Lex," she said, but her facade was slipping away.

"Yes, in the fact that he wants to be normal and to fit in. But Chloe, we both know that no matter how much he wants it, he's not normal."

She let the act fall. "Did he tell you?"

"No, his parents confirmed that I was right in my deductions."

"I can't believe that," she replied skeptically.

"Believe it, because, as I do, they believe that Clark is in trouble."

"Who abducted him and why?" she asked seriously.

Lex appreciated that she'd stopped beating around the bush. "Jason Teague, because he believes that Clark has the stones."

Her mouth dropped open and she brought her hand to cover it. "Oh my-but he's dead!"

He sighed and ran a hand over his head. "He's not. I thought so too. But the Kents said that he showed up at their farm and held them at gun point. Apparently Clark walked in and then a meteor hit. When they woke up Clark was gone and there was a trail of blood. It led out of the farm and then just stopped. The Kents truck and keys were missing. You do the math."

"Do you know where he is?"

"No yet."

"But you're working on it," she said knowingly with a small smirk.

"Would you expect anything less?"

"No," she said with a small laugh. "When it comes to stratagem I know no one better than you."

"I'm not sure if that's a compliment or an insult," he said honestly.

"Take it as a compliment," she advised. "Now what do you have in mind?"

"I'll offer to fund the project."

Her chin dropped. "_What_?"

"I'll offer to fund the project and then I'll masquerade as the traitorous friend who wants Clark's secrets."

"But the key word there is 'masquerade', right?"

"Yes," he confirmed. "You can't think I'd really do that, can you?"

"I'll admit that you had me going there for a moment."

He ignored her previous comment, not wanting to think about what that said of her inner thoughts on him. "After I infiltrate the area where Clark is I'll use my father's methods and make Jason out to be crazy."

Chloe smiled. "And then when he's apprehended no one will believe a word he says about Clark."

Lex nodded. "Exactly. Clark will just be the poor kid who took the brunt of a crazy man's madness."

"And what about Clark?"

"What do you mean?"

"How are you going to communicate to him what you're doing?"

"I'm not."

She looked at him with an eyebrow raised and deadpanned, "You're not."

"I'm not," he confirmed. "You're one of Clark's best friends; you know what his acting skills are like."

She nodded. "I do, but can you do that to him? I mean he's going to think you've betrayed him. How long do you anticipate it taking to make Jason appear mad, Lex? Because if it's too long..."

He sighed and ran his hand over his head again. "I don't know, Chloe, I don't. But it's really Clark's only chance."

"You're right," she said after a pause. "And I want to help."

"Chloe-"

"No, Clark is my best friend and he needs my help. I owe that much to him after what I did to him our junior year."

Lex quirked an eyebrow. "What?"

"He didn't tell you?" she asked, her surprise evident.

"Apparently not."

"I struck a deal with your father. He got me a column at the Daily Planet and I gave him information on Clark."

Lex stood up, suppressed anger making his jaw clench tight. "What could have possessed you to do that?"

"I-I saw him and Lana kissing."

"So you betrayed him? And you think you deserve information now?"

Her eyes narrowed and Lex suddenly realized that he wasn't dealing with an immature high-school girl anymore. "I'm not that person anymore," she said heatedly. "Clark's forgiven me. Besides, I keep his secrets."

Lex nodded. "You'd better. How did you find out about him?"

Her lips went thin and she crossed her arms. "Alicia Baker set him up so that I'd see some of his 'talents'. Let's just say I saw him do the impossible."

Lex didn't say anything in reply to that. "You're sure that you want to help?" he asked finally.

"I'm willing to put my life on the line for it."

"Alright." They looked at each other seriously for a moment before Lex drew up a chair for her. "Then let's start by discovering where I can find Jason."


	6. Chapter 6

Dried blood, as well as urine and vomit, stained his soiled clothing. He had no idea how long he'd been in this room, for the only way to mark the passing of time were Jason's visits and even those were sporadic.

He'd finally fallen into some semblance of slumber when the door flew open, slamming into the wall. Clark groggily opened his eyes. The rocks pulsed with their eerie green glow from the corners of the room, reminding him of his helplessness.

"Are you ready to talk, Clark?"

"I've got nothing to tell you," he protested stubbornly.

Jason pulled out another needle. Clark cringed when he saw there was more fluid inside this time. It hurt worse every time Jason injected him with it and Clark wasn't sure he was strong enough to handle it anymore.

Jason placed the tip of the needle right at Clark's neck. "You sure? Cause this is really gonna hurt."

"Jason, please, I don't know anything!"

Jason shoved the needle into him, ripping a scream from his lungs. The all too familiar feel of fire consuming him resonated throughout his body. He couldn't breath and he thought his head just might explode.

It might have been hours or it might have been minutes, but the feeling finally subsided and he was left panting. His feeling of weakness increased.

"Is it worth it, Clark?" Jason asked, his tone deriding.

"I've got nothing to tell you," Clark repeated. It had become his answer for everything.

Jason was about to say something when his phone rang. Swearing softly, he pulled it out and his eyes went wide at the sight of the caller ID. He looked up at Clark, who was watching him through half-lidded eyes. "You've got to be kidding!" he declared with a laugh.

Clark continued to watch him. He didn't really care about who was on the phone.

"It's Lex Luthor!"

Suddenly he cared. Raising his head, he asked, "What?"

"Don't get all excited; it's not like he's going to rescue you or anything," Jason assured him with another laugh as he answered the phone. "Now why would you be calling the cell phone of a dead man, Lex?" he asked in greeting.

Clark strained to hear Lex's reply. Naturally, since his powers were gone, he couldn't.

"What makes you think that?" Jason laughed. "Yeah, I suppose that their eyewitness account of me holding them at gunpoint would tend to make you think that, yeah. So may I ask what you want if you're so convinced I have Clark Kent?" The delighted, yet incredulous look on Jason's face chilled Clark to the bone. "You're serious? Apparently what they all say about you is true!" His face returned to a more passive expression. "How do I know you're not lying?"

Clark felt like his breath was stuck in his windpipe. What was Jason talking about?

Jason suddenly smiled. "You've got a deal. Uhuh, old abandoned warehouse on Fifth Street in Metropolis. And if you are lying and you call the police he'll be dead before they even enter the building. Excellent."

Jason hung up the phone with a smile. Looking at Clark the smile turned to a smirk. "You know what he wanted, Kent? He wanted to work with _me_ on _you_. Guess he wasn't the friend that you thought. You would have been better off just telling me what I wanted to know."

Clark's mouth dropped. "You're lying. Lex wouldn't do that to me."

"You don't think so? Let's see if you still hold that opinion when he gets here in a couple of hours." Upon seeing the shocked look on Clark's face he added, "Yeah, he's coming, but it sure isn't to rescue you." Jason was about to turn and head for the door when he glanced at the syringe in his hand. "You're different, aren't you? A meteor freak possibly?"

"I'm not," Clark denied.

Jason shrugged. "Lex has deep pockets. We'll see."

Clark couldn't hold down the bile in his throat as Jason left. This couldn't be happening.

----------------------------

Lex entered the warehouse and headed down the first set of stairs that he saw. Jason hadn't given him specific directions, so he could only assume that he was going the correct way. His actions proved correct, as Jason met him as he went around a corner. "Guess it takes more than just falling off a cliff into a river to kill you," Lex said coolly.

"Yeah, apparently so. But enough with that, I want to cut to the chase."

"Which is?"

Jason beckoned for Lex to follow him. "The stones, for one. But I also think that Clark Kent could be...unique. I plan to have his blood tested."

"I can get my people on it," Lex offered, his face emotionless.

Jason laughed. "Do you think I'm that stupid? If you think I'm just going to blindly accept that you've really turned against your best and only friend then you're not as smart as everyone says. No, I have some connections thanks to my father being a lawyer. _I_ will have the blood tested."

Lex only nodded, thought inside he was screaming. "Fair enough. How soon can it be done?"

"I've got to take a sample first."

"Were you planning on doing that soon?" Lex inquired, giving off the aura of annoyance.

"Now actually. I've got some equipment that I was able to get a hold of while I was waiting for you to get here," he said with a roll of his eyes.

"Excellent. I want to see Clark as well."

"Whatever, but don't try anything."

After another minute or so of descending the stairs, they came to a door. Jason placed a key in the lock and the door squeaked open.

At first Lex was left aghast at the situation. The only light came from the glowing green meteor rocks at the edge of the room, which were pulsing slightly. Apparently he had found Clark's weakness. Jason switched the light on and Lex saw Clark for the first time.

He was an absolute mess. His clothes were soiled with most every possible bodily fluid, or so it seemed. As Clark squinted in the light, his eyes settled on Lex. "I didn't believe it, you know," he whispered angrily. "How could you do this to me?"

This would be the hardest role he had or probably ever would have to play. Preparing himself for an award winning presentation, he sighed. "Your secrets became too much."

Clark looked sick, and Jason looked pleased. "My father was right," Clark murmured, looking shocked. "He was completely right about you."

Lex forced himself to roll his eyes. Jason coughed non-too-subtlety. "What?" Lex asked curtly, turning away from Clark and towards him.

"I believe that we have some blood work."

Clark paled more, if that was possible. "You can't do that!"

"Who's going to stop me?" Jason asked, looking as thought Clark had just told a particularly funny joke.

Lex pulled from his pocket a rubber tourniquet with which to put on Clark's arm. Jason went around behind Clark and undid his arms as Lex moved forward to stand beside Clark. As gently as he could without appearing obvious, Lex turned Clark's rubbed-raw hands palm up, before chaining them back to the chair that way. Clark looked at him the whole time with an expression of one who has been purely betrayed.

Once Clark's hands were secured, Jason moved back out of the room and came back with a stand on which some tubes and bags of blood were hanging. Clark visibly swallowed.

Feeling like a completely terrible person, Lex secured the rubber tourniquets to Clark's arms and waited until a vein popped up, at which point he, as gently as he could, inserted a needle. Clark closed his eyes and gritted his teeth. "Just try to relax, Clark," Lex told him, trying to sound as soothing as he possibly could without giving away his guise.

Clark was gulping in breaths by the time Lex had gone to the other arm and inserted a needle there as well. "He really should be laying down for this," he said to Jason. "And if we want top scientific results some better conditions would be expedient."

Jason rolled his eyes. "Are you sure that's not just your attachment to him talking?"

Lex glared at him. "I'm positive. Believe me; I know how to get the most out of a subject." He watched, feeling inwardly sick as blood began to move out of Clark's arms, through the tubes, and into the bags. Clark looked terrified.

"How could you do this to me, Lex?"

"Just think of the good you'll be doing for mankind! You could advance research by years!" He hated the way he sounded.

"You're using me as a lab rat." He gave a jerk against the restraints. Lex laid a hand on his arm.

"Don't, Clark. If you pull the needles out I'll have to put them back in." He let his hand remain on Clark's arm, trying his best to give him any sort of comfort he could. Jason only watched with a smirk.

"How could you do this?"

Lex had the feeling that those words were to become frequent. He moved away from Clark and towards the door, calling to Jason as he left, "I've got to get something; I'll be right back."

Once he was gone Jason turned his smirk towards Clark. "So what were you saying about him not doing this to you?"

"He's-he's not-"

"He's not what? Because he just shoved a needle into both your arms. I'm not sure how even you can make that seem loyal."

Clark hung his head. It was clear that he really wasn't sure how to make the situation seem any different.

The minutes passed and finally the door opened again, and Lex walked back into the room with a wet washcloth in his hand. Pulling a chair up to Clark's side, he felt Clark's forehead, unsurprised to find it sweaty, as well as very cold and clammy. His face had become paler as well, and Lex knew that the loss of blood was making him weak.

"Lex-" Clark moaned softly as he began to feel faint. Lex felt sick. Clark still didn't really believe he'd do this to him. He still thought that Lex would help him.

"Shhh, you're going to feel weak and you're going to pass out. Don't fight it."

"It-it's too much," he whimpered as Lex began to wash the sweat off his face. Jason looked on, his expression cool. Both he and Lex's eyes often darted over to the bags that were filling with Clark's blood. They were nearly full and Lex thanked God.

Right before he passed out, Clark looked up at Lex. Clark's face was ghostly white, illuminating his green eyes even more and making the pain and anger in them all too clear. Lex wiped the sweat off his face once more before Clark finally passed out.

A minute or so after his departure from consciousness, the bag was finally filled. Lex turned off the machine and efficiently removed the needles from Clark's arms. "Let's get these to the lab," Jason said, his voice nonchalant.

Lex only nodded as Jason headed for the door. "He needs a bath and a bed, Jason."

Jason turned around and raised an eyebrow. "He had a bed before. It didn't work; he needs to be tied down."

Thinking quickly, Lex suggested, "Then get a hospital bed, but, believe me, if you don't get him something he's going to get sick and could possibly die. Even lab animals are usually treated better than this."

"Fine," Jason agreed coolly, seeing Lex's point. "But I don't have time for that, so you can have your men do it."

Lex only nodded and watched as he left. Looking back at Clark's unconscious form, Lex wondered how anyone could be so cruel to someone like Clark.


	7. Chapter 7

All of you who are waiting for the Chlark: Just be patient. I promise it's coming!

----------------------

Clark woke up lying on something relatively soft. Upon attempting movement, he realized that his wrists were tied down. Once he realized that he forced his eyes open and was a little surprised to find that he was lying in a hospital bed. He was quite unsurprised to find that his wrists were bound to the bar of it.

Even if Lex had betrayed him, he decided that maybe he'd be a little more sympathetic towards him than Jason would, because this bed and the clean clothes-even if they were hospital style scrubs and shirt- as well as the bath that must have accompanied them, certainly hadn't come from Jason.

His suspicions were confirmed when the door opened and Lex walked in, a tray of food in his hand. "Are you hungry?" Lex asked quietly.

"Yes," Clark replied, his tone cold. He tried to sit up a little and was quite frustrated when the chains bit into his wrists.

"Don't struggle," Lex advised him.

"Whatever."

Lex ignored his tone and simply said, "Jason won't be back until tomorrow morning."

"So? You're still here."

Lex didn't say anything to that either, but instead undid the restraints holding his arms to the bed. As they clicked open Clark couldn't help but be reminded of the ones in Summerholt that had secured him to the thing they'd lowered him into the tank on, for they were nearly the same thing.

As soon as his restraints were off, Clark tried to move off the bed. Before he could get off, however, Lex opened a box in his pocket and Clark fell back weakly. Lex withdrew the box from his pocket and set it on the floor near Clark's bed.

Clark glared at Lex through narrowed eyes. "You're worse than everyone said you were."

"Believe it or not, I'm doing this for your own good."

Clark couldn't imagine what that would be. "What? You thought I was going to take over the world?" he said with a smirk. "What is it that you're trying to protect me from now?"

Lex's jaw visibly clenched. His eyes held some emotion that Clark couldn't decipher, but he found he didn't really car to think on it. Clark continued by saying, "You know, I used to think you did things to protect me, because you cared about me. Now I see it was all just one big ploy, wasn't it?"

Lex didn't reply, but brought the tray over to Clark. He pulled the attachment on the bed that, when pulled out across Clark, served as a miniature table, and set the tray of food, which consisted of a sliced apple, some juice, and a sandwich, on it.

"Eat," Lex commanded simply, pulling up a chair to sit next to Clark.

Clark took a bite and swallowed. He was so hungry, but the food didn't seem to want to go down. Everything tasted like paper. "You want to explain to me what's going on?" he asked finally.

"No," Lex said quietly. "It's better if you don't know."

Clark narrowed his eyes. "I still just can't accept that you'd do this to me."

"Keep eating," Lex ordered in reply

Clark raised his eyes to look at Lex. "No," he said simply. "I'm not hungry."

"Yes, you are. In fact you just told me so," Lex shot back, his expression remaining calm, unsurprised at Clark's refusal. "But you feel like you can't swallow and you feel it's a better use of your incapability to fight me than to simply tell me that you feel sick."

"How-?"

"Did I know that? We're more alike than you think, Clark."

"I used to think so. Now I _know_ we're nothing alike."

"You're wrong," Lex told him sadly.

"To quote you, even if you were lying when you said it, 'I'd do anything for my friends.' You obviously wouldn't."

Lex sighed and stood up. "Try to eat more if you can." Clark didn't answer and Lex simply left the room. Once he was gone Clark dumped the food onto the floor.

---------------------------

Chloe was waiting for him when he got back to the mansion that night. He'd known that she would be, but that didn't make him any more prepared to see her. "Chloe," he greeted, as he entered his study.

She stood up immediately. "How is he?" she asked, the worry evident in her tone.

"How do you think?" he snapped. He simply could not deal with this. Seeing Clark's pain had been bad enough one time through. He really did not need to relive it just to satisfy her curiosity.

"Apparently he didn't take seeing you too well."

Lex sat down on the couch and ran a hand over his head. "That obvious?"

She sat down beside him. "He'll forgive you in a second, Lex, as soon as he knows the whole story. Just think how it must look to him right now-his best friend turned against him, being locked up in a lab."

Lex leaned back into the couch, but was in no way relaxing. "I know, I know, it's just he looked at me like-like I was my father's son." He looked up and seemed for the first time to realize Chloe was really in the room and that he was telling her things that were far beyond casual small talk. He swore softly under his breath.

"Look, he forgave me and I really was guilty. He'll forgive you."

"I know he will, but-" He cut off his sentence, refraining from saying that he wasn't sure he deserved to be forgiven. But that wasn't something he wanted to share with Chloe. She didn't need to be privy to his inner demons. Clark had always been the one he'd talked to about things like that.

"But what?" she asked patiently.

He shook his head. He wasn't going to be at all forthcoming with information, at least not tonight. "But nothing, Chloe. Look, it's getting late. I'll have someone drive you home."

She nodded and stood up. Lex escorted her to the door of the study. As she was walking out of it she turned and said seriously, "I know Clark's not here to listen, but I am. Anytime you want to talk, you know where I am."

Lex watched her close the door as he went over to the bar to pour himself a glass of scotch. Shaking his head, he laughed softly. She was a remarkably intuitive young woman. She'd make one heck of a reporter.

---------------------------------

"He's not the friend you thought he was, is he?"

Clark forced his eyes open. He'd just been having the most pleasant dream. He'd been back in Smallville, flying over the corn and, as far as he could remember, he hadn't had a problem on his mind. The sun had been bright and he'd been happy and…now he was awake and back in a cold room without windows. Somebody had also obviously re-chained him to the bed after he'd fallen asleep.

"He sold you out for your secrets."

Clark still didn't say anything. In his mind there was really nothing to say.

Jason moved from the doorway further into the room, a smirk on his lips. "Your secrets were the price of a Judas kiss." Jason stopped beside his bed and sat down in the chair that had earlier been occupied by Lex.

"What do you want?" Clark finally asked.

"You know what I want."

"I don't know where the stones are."

"Yes, you do." Jason pulled back his fist and slammed it into Clark's face. "You do."

"I don't."

Another hard-fisted punch. "Then I guess since you won't tell me that, I'll just have to keep collecting payment for your room and board in other ways."

Standing up from the chair, Jason headed to the door and waved his hand. A moment later two men dressed in white lab coats appeared. Clark felt his stomach roll with apprehension.

"Still don't know where the stones are, Clark?" Jason asked again. Clark glared at him, before letting his head fall weakly back against his pillow. Jason shrugged. "Ok, then."

The men stepped forward and one took out a sort of swab, much resembling the kind used to test for strep throat. Pulling a rubber glove on, the man pried Clark's mouth open and swabbed at it, collecting a generous amount of spit. Once he was done he placed it in a tube and handed it to the other scientist.

Then, to Clark's horror, the first scientists undid the tie on his hospital scrubs and pulled them down. Once Clark's lower regions were exposed the man began to massage the area of Clark's bladder. Clark tried to fight, but some reactions are impossible to stop and as the other scientist held out a cup, Clark was forced to urinate into it. The second scientist placed a cover over that as well. Jason only watched, a cruel smile on his face. His eyes were cold and hard, and Clark knew right then and there that he'd get no sympathy from this man.

Jason clapped the first scientist on the shoulder. "Thanks, Frank. I expect the results by tomorrow." As the two scientists left the room, he turned back to Clark. "You want to stop all this? You tell me where those stones are. I'll give you some time to think it over."

Clark could barely keep back tears as the door clanged shut again, leaving him only in the glow of the rocks. He was truly alone.


	8. Chapter 8

"How is Clark?"

Jonathan Kent sounded more broken than Lex thought he ever could. He'd only been released from the hospital that morning, but Lex had suspected-no _known_-that he would be receiving a visit. Martha was still in the hospital, but a few more days and it looked like she'd be out.

"He's as good as he can be, given the circumstances."

"Which is your fancy talk for, 'he's surviving'."

"But saying it that way sounds so brutal," Lex admitted, getting up from his desk and going over the couch. He gestured for Jonathan to take a seat.

Hobbling over on his crutches and sitting, Jonathan relied, "At least it's direct and honest."

Lex felt his temper rising. What was it about this man? "Mr. Kent, I am doing everything I possibly can for you son." He knew his tone sounded a bit heated, but he couldn't bring himself to care.

Jonathan looked down at the floor, and to Lex's surprise actually looked sorry. His suspicions were confirmed a moment later when Jonathan said, "I know, Lex, I do. I'm sorry. But he's my son and-"

Lex waved his hand. "I understand. No good father wants to put his son in this situation."

"How much longer?" Jonathan asked.

Lex only shook his head and looked at the opposite wall. "It's impossible to tell. I'm going to start drugging Jason today. As for how long it will take for him to commit some kind of insane act in public-accidental or set up-I've no idea."

"And when he does?"

"I'll bring Clark home."

"Isn't that going to make it obvious that you were involved.?"

"Mr. Kent, I have enough money to make people willingly turn their heads. Once Jason Teague is categorized as insane, I can work the rest."

Mr. Kent only nodded. "Alright."

"How is Mrs. Kent?"

Jonathan ran a hand through his hair. When he turned to look at Lex, the younger man was surprised to see tears in his eyes. "There was a blood clot this morning. She-she's going to be alright, but it's going to take time."

"She's going to be Ok?"

Jonathan nodded. "Yes, but it's going to be a longer stay in the hospital than expected."

"Can you afford it?" Lex asked.

"Lex, I'd appreciate it if you stay out of my family's financial affairs."

"You can't afford it." It was not a question, but a statement of a fact.

"I don't believe that is your worry. Get me Clark back safely and you will have done more than enough."

"And if he has no home left to live in because the bank foreclosed on it?" Lex asked, his voice becoming biting again. He didn't know what it was about Jonathan Kent, but for some reason the man brought out his defenses and his vulnerability at the same time. It was like a much more honest, sod of the earth, version of his own father. He didn't like that at all.

"We can handle it as a family," Jonathan insisted, his tone matching Lex's.

"And how do you plan to do that? Your wife is in a hospital bed with the bills mounting and your son is currently locked away. Just what other family do you have to confer with?"

Jonathan's face hardened. "Don't you dare talk like that to me."

"What if it's the truth?"

Jonathan stood up and hobbled to the door, his face slightly red. Anger was evident in his whole posture.

As he was about to leave, Lex called after him, "When you decide what's important enough in your life to come before your pride, call me."

Jonathan shot him a withering glare before slamming the door. Lex only sighed and watched him go.

-----------------------------

"What do you want?" Clark asked tiredly, upon seeing Lex enter the room.

"Just coming to see if you're alright."

"I'm fine."

"You're not." And Clark wasn't, he realized. His face was drawn with misery, and he was shivering. That wasn't even mentioning the blood that was on his face. Bitterly, he realized Jason must have come in at some point. "Are you cold?"

"Yes," he answered truthfully. There really was nothing to be gained by lying about that.

"I'll get you a blanket." Lex left the room again and for the life of him Clark couldn't understand Lex. He seemed..._concerned_ with his comfort. Jason only seemed concerned with what was needed to keep him alive.

But Lex was just as bad. He was the best friend who had betrayed Clark. Just because he was a little concerned with Clark's welfare didn't make him better-it made him worse for daring to play games with Clark.

Lex re-entered the room with a thick blanket as well as yet another wash cloth. The blanket's red color reminded Clark of home and for a moment he felt the insane urge to cry again, especially when Lex shook it out and spread it over him. Its flocculent material felt blessedly soft on his skin and for a brief moment he allowed himself to indulge by closing his eyes.

"Clark." He opened his eyes again, only to be met by Lex's worried gaze. "Are you alright?"

Clark was unsurprised to see Jason enter the room behind Lex. Clark could feel the anger building within him at the sight of the man and he grasped the rails of the bed tightly, trying to ignore the sight of his wrists cuffed to it and their red and abraded state.

"He's fine," Jason said seriously, his voice causing Lex to turn around. "He's just a little upset is all."

Lex's eyes narrowed and Clark held his breath. He really didn't want Lex to know what had transpired earlier-it was just too embarrassing.

"Why would that be?" Lex asked, much to Clark's dismay.

"He had a urine sample taken earlier," Jason answered with a shrug.

Clark could see Lex swallow heavily. His face betrayed nothing, but as a man who had been Lex's best friend, he knew the signs of his emotions-and that slight swallowing motion was one of them. "And what about the blood on his face?" Lex asked, finally regaining control enough to make sure there was no emotion in his voice.

Jason shrugged. "It'll stop when he tells me what I want to know."

Lex only sighed and moved over to Clark, taking the cloth he'd brought and washing the blood away again. Jason never asked him about the stones when Lex was in the room, Clark realized. Did Lex not know what Jason was really after? What was really going on? His mind was working furiously but was hitting dead ends every time.

Jason glanced at Clark again. "Don't bother cleaning him up. I've got some scientists waiting outside for me to give the signal to come in a take some more samples."

Clark, who had been allowing Lex to take the blood off his face, stiffened. Lex, clearly recognizing his friend's fear, asked, "What kind?"

Jason smiled ominously. "Let's find out." As he had previously, he went over to the door and gestured for the scientists to come in. They were different from the previous ones but certainly didn't look any friendlier. If anything their expressions were colder than the first pair.

Approaching the bed, the first pulled out a pair of scissors. He gingerly cut a little of Clark's hair, gathering it and putting it in a cup. Clark swallowed hard. "Lex," he begged. Surely, not matter what Lex was after he wouldn't let them do this. Surely he couldn't abandon him to this extent. "Lex, please!"

He would not cry. He would not allow himself to cry, even as he felt himself panicking. He raised his eyes, searching Lex's face. The regret there was obvious, but he made no move to stop the doctors. Clark felt as though the wind had been knocked from his lungs.

Suprise hit him like a train when the second doctor took out a sanitation cloth and wiped at his arm with it. When the first doctor, having finished sealing the cup with Clark's hair in it, took out the scalpel, he jerked back in the restraints.

"Don't, no, don't!" he tried to plead with them, having given up on Lex. If he hadn't helped him in the previous sample collection, he knew he certainly wouldn't now. "Please!"

The men made no sign they'd even heard him. Jason only smiled softly, seemingly pleased at Clark's discomfort. Lex looked sick, although he was obviously trying to keep his back turned so that Jason couldn't see that.

He screamed when the scalpel cut into him, its cold metal slicing through skin like butter. And then he realized that it wasn't only metal-it was metal coated in meteor rock. He tried to pull away because it felt as thought the rock was inside him-in his veins, in his very bones.

His attempt to escape was halted by the restraints and it only made the scientist slip, causing the scalpel to cut deeper and eliciting a curse from the scientist. Clark screamed again, a horrid sound wrenched from his throat.

The man seemed to be drawing a square on his arm. It was simply too much for Clark. It wasn't enough to make his pass out, and yet he was right on the brink; he was hanging on a precipice that he couldn't seem to quite make it over. The pain was insufferable, and yet he was being forced to suffer through it.

Then the scientist made a swift cut _under_ the square of flesh, cutting it off him. His screams became unceasing and his vision left him. From somewhere there was a hand petting his hair, and a voice urging him to hang on, telling him that he would be alright.

The tears that he'd been holding in flowed as the pain finally became centralized around the cut. He watched the scientist put his flesh in a container as well. The second man began to dress Clark's wound.

Clark became aware that hands were still stroking his hair. He raised his head and was met by Lex. He couldn't stand that; it was simply too much. "Don't touch me," he sobbed out. "Just don't." Lex removed his hands, looking surprised at the depth of Clark's anger. Clark couldn't allow Lex to try to comfort him. He was the one helping to do this. He would not accept soothing from one of his tormentors.

And to him that was what Lex had become.

---------------------------------

Lana was not what he needed right then. The way Clark had looked at him-it had terrified him. He'd looked so broken. Lex knew why he hadn't wanted to be touched. And really, who could blame him? Clark had screamed from him-_begged_ for him, and he'd been forced to ignore him. Clark wouldn't want to be comforted by the one whom had done that. And after all of that, he simply couldn't deal with Lana.

"Where were you all day, Lex?" she asked as soon as he entered his office.

"Lana, my whereabouts are not your personal concern."

"You're hiding something from me."

"I'm not entitled to tell you anything."

"Is this about Clark?"

"Why would this be about Clark?" He tossed his suitcase on his desk. He was far too tired and heart-sick to deal with this. That wasn't to mention that he was sure that if he were actually facing someone adept at reading people-which Lana was not-he would be giving away his emotions on his face.

"Because he's disappeared."

It was about time she noticed. "I don't know where his is." That was a flat out lie, but he couldn't have cared less.

"I-I saw him in his barn right before the meteor shower hit."

Lex only raised an eyebrow. He didn't see why she thought that would matter to him.

"The stone you wanted from me-I gave it to him."

And suddenly the conversation ceased to be trivial and annoying and had upgraded to infinitely important. "What?" he asked, aware that his emotions were playing all over his face.

"I wanted him to have it."

"What did he do with it?"

Her face scrunched with anger. "Is that all you care about from him? The stones? His secrets?"

He felt like hitting her, but of course he wouldn't, because, one, chivalry declared that he couldn't hit a girl, and, two, he needed to know about the stone. If Clark had it Jason's torture ceased to be only grating on Lex because it was Clark being tortured and became even worse, because Clark had something that he could give away. "Listen to me, Lana," he commanded, striding over from his desk and sitting her down on the couch. "Clark could be in danger. That stone could be the deciding factor here. I've got to know."

"Is something wrong with Clark?" she asked, her eyes growing wide and worried.

"What did he do with the stone?"

She groaned and placed her head in her hands. "I don't know! I don't know what he did with it! I kissed him and left."

Lex stood up. "I've got to go."

"Lex? It's ten at night."

"The defense attorney arrived today, right?" She nodded. "Tell him his services are no longer required. Since my father's in a catatonic state, it doesn't matter that he has the body."

She looked as though she was about to say something, but Lex fairly flew out the door before she could. If Clark truly knew where the stones were, things had just gotten a lot worse.


	9. Chapter 9

Just thought I'd cleara few things up: First, do we really know that the meteor rocks kill Clark? So far, we've only seen him be made sick by them. I know that he died from an injection in the Season 5 episode _Void_, but so did other people, so that doesn't mean it was necessarily the meteor rocks that killed him. Clark isn't a normal human, so the rules of what might kill us really don't apply either. This is an open concept and one that Ilike to play with.

Second, the Chlark is coming soon. Sorry for the wait, but I've always hated stories where it's just dumped in at an improper time. I prefer to work it in and make it more believable. Don't worry, though, it should only be a few more chapters (At the most.).

-----------------------------

He didn't know what he expected to get out of this visit. After all, ten at night wasn't exactly a time to be calling upon people, but then again he supposed that Mr. Kent would want to be spoken to about this.

Impatiently he knocked on the door to the yellow farmhouse again. Finally he saw a light go on in the upstairs window. A minute or so later he heard the grumbling of Jonathan Kent, as well as the clanking of the crutches on the wooden floor, as he headed to the door.

The door opened and a very annoyed Mr. Kent was revealed. "Do you have any idea what time?-oh, Lex."

"Mr. Kent, you've got to answer me honestly. Does Clark know where the stones are?"

From the look on the elder Kent's face, Lex assumed that wasn't what he'd been expecting. "Why do you need to know?" he replied after a brief pause.

"Because that's what Jason Teague is after and if Clark really does know, then he's got something to give away."

Jonathan paled a little. "Are you basically saying he's being tortured?"

Lex shook his head. "I'm not basically saying-I'm outright telling you."

Jonathan opened the door further and stepped out, gesturing to the porch swing. Lex took the invitation and sat, Jonathan settling beside him a moment later. "Is he-alright?"

Lex ran a hand over his head-a gesture that he was beginning to associate with nervousness or anxiety. "You should have seen the way he looked at me, Mr. Kent. I tried to tell him it would be alright, to comfort him, and he just-he looked at me like he'd-I don't know-he just looked devastated."

To Lex's immense surprise, Jonathan placed a hand on his shoulder. "He'll forgive you. I know my son."

"I'm not sure I deserve to be forgiven." And there were those words that he hadn't been able to say to Chloe and, yet, with Mr. Kent, they simply tumbled out. "The things I've done, Mr. Kent-to your son, to the world."

"You mean that room?" His voice was not cold, only understanding.

"Among other things. I-he deserves a better friend than I can be."

"You're better than you think," Jonathan said softly.

Lex looked up at him, surprised. He could hear the cattle lowing in the barn. There was a call of some bird he didn't know the name of, its sound coming from far away. The rustle of the wind fanning through the grass could be heard faintly. For a moment, time seemed to stand still, and those were the only sounds. Eventually he found his voice again. "How can you say that? You've always hated me."

Jonathan rested his elbow on the edge of the porch swing and his head on his hand. "No, I've just never trusted you. I didn't think there was any way you could have been raised by the man you'd been raised by and still be fairly good. I was wrong, Lex, I was. This-this guilt you're feeling-it proves it to me. You're a good man."

Lex didn't think he'd ever appreciated any words more than those he had just heard. "I-that means a lot," he whispered.

Jonathan only nodded. "Clark will understand, Lex."

"I hope so."

"And, yes, he knows about the stones."

Lex froze. He hadn't thought it would be_ that_ easy. "He does?"

"He's got two of them."

Lex could have sworn his heart stopped beating. He had the third. He'd taken it from his father. It was sitting in the safe in his mansion. All the stones were accounted for. For a moment, his nature-the one he'd gotten from his father-told him to cultivate Jonathan Kent's new-found trust in him to gain the last two and take what he wanted. It would be so easy-_so easy_.

But it would be wrong. And that wasn't the person he wanted to be anymore. If he did that he'd become his father. And besides, he knew to whom the stones really belonged anyway. "They're meant for him aren't they? The legends of a god who came from the sky-they're true, aren't they? Well, at least in the sense of having come from the sky, because Clark, or his ancestors, or whatever aren't gods."

Jonathan said nothing for a moment and Lex was sure that he was done opening up for the night. He was proven wrong, as well as shocked, when Jonathan nodded. "Yes."

"Wow." It was all he could think to say. Then the shock wore off and he realized just how much danger Clark was really in. "Mr. Kent, Jason took blood samples."

Jonathan's gaze shot up to Lex. "What!"

"He drew Clark's blood. He sent it to the lab. He's going to know!"

Jonathan looked sick. "He-can you stop it?"

Lex shook his head. "I doubt it. He's probably already gotten, or is about to get, the results back. He's going to find out."

"Is there anything you can do?" he asked, placing his head in his hands and exhaling softly. "Anything at all?"

"Nothing more than I did before. I'll keep drugging Jason. I'll increase the amounts."

"Don't let him hurt Clark."

"I'll do my best, but I can't stop the tests. If I do, he'll simply cut me off from helping at all. The drugging is our only chance."

Jonathan nodded, his jaw clenching. "Alright, then do it as quickly as you can."

Lex stood up and started down the porch stairs, heading for the car. "I'll do everything I can for him." That was a promise and one he intended to keep.

-----------------------------

Clark looked so young and innocent when he was sleeping, Lex thought. The way he was lying there, his mouth slightly open and his breathing soft and calm-it all seemed so peaceful. But when he woke up, he was anything but. "What do you want?" he asked, hearing Lex as he came closer. The scratch of the feet of the chair on the floor could be heard.

"How are you feeling?"

"How would you feel, Lex?" Lex could barely stand the iciness of those eyes. He felt as though he should have been turned to stone from that glare alone-like in the legend of medusa, only in the rendition when she was beautiful instead of so hideously ugly.

He didn't say anything back. He couldn't, because he couldn't give too much away. Clark had to see him as Jason's ally. If he did not, the plan would undoubtedly fail. "Do you need anything? I know you haven't eaten in days."

"I can't."

"It won't stay down, you mean?"

"That's exactly what I mean." Clark's tone had fallen from icy to tired and simply resigned.

"Nothing? Not even soup and crackers?"

Clark shook his head. That worried Lex. Clark needed to eat. He needed all the strength he could get. Much to Clark's disapproval, he pulled back the blanket and looked him over. Jason was supposed to let him up and help him go to the bathroom four times a day, but it seemed he'd been neglecting that duty.

"You need a shower," Lex told him bluntly. Leaning down, he undid the cuffs on Clark's wrists.

Clark struggled to sit up and Lex realized just how weak he'd become. For the first time, worry as to whether or not Clark wouldn't suffer permanent damage from this crept into Lex's mind. "Can you get up?"

Clark tried again and finally pushed himself into a sitting position. Lex came over to the side of the bed and put Clark's arm over his shoulders, trying to help him stand. Clark took two wobbling steps and then collapsed on the floor.

Lex noticed how flushed his face had become and it worried him. How could he be allowing this? "Stay there," he told Clark quickly.

"Like I've got a choice," Clark mumbled as Lex headed out the door. A moment later he reappeared with a wheelchair. When Clark saw it he frowned.

Lex understood his aggravation. People in Smallville always speculated on how two so very different people could have been friends, but, in reality, Clark and Lex were more alike than anyone knew. In this particular case, both had immense pride, and Lex knew how degrading it would be for Clark to admit this weakness. Yet, there was nothing he could do about it, so he simply slipped his hands under Clark's arms and hoisted him into the wheel chair. Clark settled in it with a small "oomph".

Lex pushed him out of the room and down the hall a few steps to the bathroom that was there. "Can you get undressed on your own?" he asked seriously, helping Clark from the wheelchair to the side of the tub.

"Yes." Clark sounded like he was lying, and really, he probably was, but Lex didn't think he'd want his help if he were Clark. If he were Clark he wouldn't want any touch from himself. He was a traitor from Clark's perspective. Help from a traitor was like taking blood money.

"I'll wait outside the door," he told him quietly. He left and the gentle sound of the door latching met his ears. There was bolt on the outside of the door-probably installed by Jason, because, really, Jason wouldn't even bother to offer to help Clark. He'd just lock him in and leave.

He waited a minute or so until he heard the gentle stream of water begin. At that point he turned and headed down the hall.

He'd had lunch with Jason the day before and had drugged his drinks then, but now he needed to do it again-and with a stronger dose this time. His shoes made soft squeaking sounds on the tiled floors as he walked, and it seemed to him that he must have been able to be heard by the whole world.

But no one stopped him and he entered the kitchen. Even in the kitchen the harsh glare of the artificial lighting, bereft of any help from natural light since they were in a warehouse on a floor underground, assaulted him. It hurt his eyes and he could only imagine how it must be for Clark. Clark had to lie in a bed with either that or only the soft green glow of meteor rocks for hours on end.

Pushing aside thoughts of Clark for the time being, he opened the refrigerator door, stopping to listen for footsteps when it made a soft squelching sound, and continued when he heard none. He injected the drug into every piece of food in the refrigerator and added it to every drink as well. Jason was staying here, he knew, and that meant this was the only food he was exposed to. It was only a matter of time until enough got in his system, right?

The creak of the door opening made him straighten back. Jason was looking at him suspiciously. "What? I was hungry," he lied quickly.

Jason shook his head, but obviously bought his excuse. "As lovely as that is, I thought you might like to know of our newest development."

The blood.

Lex had forgotten.

"What's that?" he asked, fighting to keep his face neutral.

Jason grinned a little as he came over to the refrigerator, grabbed a half-empty Pepsi, unscrewed the seal and took a drink. "Our friend Clark doesn't seem to be human."

Well, Lex had to hand it to him; he certainly was blunt about things. Luckily for Lex, he was also stupid, because that drink was drugged. Instead of vocalizing that, he only cocked an eyebrow and laughed. "You're kidding. Although, really, it doesn't surprise me."

Jason looked at him for a moment. The look could only be described as one of bemusement. "You pretended to be Clark's friend for four years. Was it only to get his secrets?"

Lex shrugged, moving towards the door. "I've got to go get Clark out of his bath. You've got to clean him up a little more often than you do."

Laughing, Jason only shook his head. "No point now, although I thank you for getting him ready. I've got scientists coming this after noon to do a vivisection."

Lex could have sworn that his blood had frozen in his veins, or had at the very least congealed, causing his heart to stop beating. He thought he ought to get an award for how casually he was able to say, "Really? What for?"

Jason snorted. "He's. An. Alien."

Striding out into the hall, Lex only laughed, although he was the furthest thing from happy. "You can't possibly be sure of that. He could just be a meteor mutant that had his blood infected and changed."

"Yeah? Well we'll find out this afternoon, won't we?"

He couldn't stop this from happening to Clark, he realized. And honestly, he would have done anything to, but to simply kill Jason wouldn't work now. He'd been to see his father, Lex knew. People knew he was alive. He should have done it while he had the chance. And now, because of his stupid moment of morals, Clark was going to be dissected. "Have you got the Anesthesia set up?"

Jason looked at him like he was crazy or, even worse, stupid. "He's not human, Lex. If he's not human there's no need for such things."

Lex stomach flipped. Clark was going to be dissected _without_ any drugs. This could not be happening. He must have reached the limit of what he could take because Jason suddenly said, "You paled when I said that. You still have some attachment to him?"

Lex forced himself to laugh. They had long ago reached the door to the bathroom and were now simply standing there talking. "I just don't think that's ethically right for anyone-human or not."

"Oh come on, none of what we're doing is ethic. You know, Lex, I think your attachment to him isn't good. Perhaps you shouldn't be there when we cut him open this afternoon. It might upset you too much."

No, he had to be there, if only to assure himself that Clark didn't die. He was not a coward. He would be there for Clark. When he got Clark out of this, he vowed that he'd never let anyone hurt that boy again. He would give Clark whatever he wanted. No one deserved this-least of all Clark.

"No," he said seriously. "I'm curious to see what happens."

"But not on Anesthesia," Jason said again with a wicked smile.

Lex felt sick as he realized that this lack of narcotics was as much to spite him as it was Clark. Jason was testing him to see if he would protect Clark-Jason wanted something to hold over his head. Lex was determined not to give it to him.

"If you say so," he said with a shrug. Lex undid the bolt on the door, its heavy ominous thump echoing throughout the hallway as he entered the room again.

Clark was sitting on the edge of the bathtub, towel in hand, trying to dry himself. He looked incredibly exhausted and about to faint. Over his shoulder, Lex ordered Jason, "Go get him some clothes."

"Or a hospital gown," Jason replied with a sadistic smile as he left to get one.

Clark looked absolutely petrified. "W-what?"

Lex knelt down next to him and began to dry him off for him. Clark looked too exhausted to protest. "Guess the bath took a lot out of you, huh?" He meant it to sound almost teasing, but it seemed a hint of caring had made it into the tone, for Clark looked at him strangely.

"Why do you do this to me, Lex?" he asked finally.

"Do what?"

"Pretend to care?"

"Maybe I'm not pretending. Maybe I still do care about you." He shouldn't have said that, and he knew it, but he couldn't take that look Clark was giving him.

Clark's eyes narrowed and suddenly became more hateful than Lex had ever seen them. "You don't need to lie to me_ now_, Lex. You've got what you want. I know what hospital gowns mean. I don't know exactly what's going to happen this afternoon, but I know I won't like it."

"Clark-"

"I screamed for you. When that man was touching me I _screamed_ for you, and you didn't help me. You let him touch me. You watched him do it." So much belief in Lex's dereliction that it nearly killed Lex. But Lex didn't blame him-how could Clark not feel like that?"

He finished drying him and let him sit there with the towel over his waist. "Will you kill me, Lex? Will this end with my death?" he asked suddenly.

"No, it won't. I won't let that happen," he said seriously, being very sure to keep most of the emotion out of his voice.

"I don't trust you." Lex thought he must be the only one in the world to have ever received that look from Clark. He also thought that Clark might be the only one who could make him feel like he was feeling. Even in his clubbing days in Metropolis when he'd used so many people, he'd never felt like this.

The door opened again and Jason returned with a gown. Clark looked sick when he saw it opened from the front. Lex took the gown and gingerly helped Clark into it. "You've got to get back in the wheel chair, Clark," he told him gently.

Clark shot him a glare that could have frozen water, but allowed himself to be helped back into the wheel chair.

"No sense taking him back to his room," Jason pointed out. "Follow me; I'll show you where we're going."

Clark paled more, making his dark hair stand out prominently. Lex could only push the chair forward, following Jason. Once they were out of the room, he watched Clark stare at the walls, as if looking for an escape route. His heart nearly broke, knowing Clark would never find one.

As they stopped in front of a door and were about to go inside, Jason raised his hand and rubbed his neck. "Damn, my neck hurts," he muttered. Clark's eyes shot up to look at him, and Lex thought he saw some sort of recognition flash through them.

Lex was using a simple drug, but one that was untraceable by routine blood tests. He was told the side effects would be muscle aches and sleeplessness. But why was Clark looking like he'd seen it before? He really didn't have time to think on it, because Jason dropped his hand and Lex pushed Clark into the room.

Clark's soft whimper at the sight of the room obviously couldn't be held in. The room was a sterile white and in the middle was a metal table with leather restraints on it. Over it was what Lex assumed to be a light to illuminate the surgery as it was happening. He didn't want to look at Clark for he didn't want to see his expression.

"Well what are you waiting for?" Jason asked impatiently. "Help me get him on the table!"

Feeling every bit the betrayer, Lex grabbed one of Clark's flailing arms as Jason grabbed the other, and hauled him from the chair. Clark fought their grip valiantly, but there were rocks in this room as well. "Lex, please," he whimpered, looking up at Lex in a desperate appeal as both he and Jason began to buckle the restraints in place.

Lex forced himself to look at the restraints instead. There were so many of them: One for the wrists, one for the ankles, one for the upper arms and elbows, not to mention the knees, upper and lower legs, plus the hips. There was even one for the forehead.

Clark looked petrified at his lack of mobility. Lex could see his muscles straining as he fought to loose himself. "Lex, please, don't do this to me."

He couldn't stop himself from reaching up and smoothing back Clark's hair. The poor kid looked so frightened. As he'd expected, the gesture only made Clark grimace, and Lex was sickened to see the tears come to his eyes.

Jason clearing his throat brought him out of his daze. "We'll come back later when the scientists get here."

"No, please," Clark whimpered again.

Jason rolled his eyes and headed for the door. Feeling as though he deserved to die a very painful death, Lex followed. Clark's screams followed them all the way down the hall.


	10. Chapter 10

I really struggled with whether to write this chapter or not. At first I was going to have Clark get rescued, because I really didn't want to write a scene like the following one. After a little thought, though, it just seemed like it would be too cliché to have Clark get rescued, plus it would take away from the Chlark that followed.

That, by the way, comes in the next chapter. So all of you who are waiting for Chlark can be very happy.

Just another response to reviews (which, by the way, I really appreciate, because they make me think, so by all means keep reviewing and giving me stuff to think about.) I know that Clark says the meteor rock will kill him, but does he know that? It never actually has, and he doesn't exactly have the experiences of others to look at. I know in Superman it kills him, but Smallville veers away from the exact legend of Superman a lot.

Once again, thanks for reviewing.

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The scientists arrived a good two hours later. There had been four this time, and Jason seemed to know all of them personally. None of them had wanted to waste any time.

So now they were back in the operating room. The four scientists, all donning white lab coats, had gathered around the table. A side table had been set up with all the necessary tools beside Clark.

Clark.

Lex had watched him cry since the scientists had come into the room. He knew Clark had taken biology. He'd probably even dissected a frog or something. He knew what scalpels looked like. He must have known why he was tied down and helpless.

Lex and Jason stood back against the wall. Clark had stopped crying for Lex again. Maybe he'd decided it was fruitless-Lex didn't know. All he knew was that the tears had increased when he'd stopped his pleas.

One of the scientists poured antiseptic on a cloth and dabbed it all along Clark's chest, down to his hip area. The smell reminded Lex of a hospital. People he loved died in hospitals.

Clark was hiccupping soft sobs as his chest was cleaned. "Get an oxygen mask and respirator," one of the scientists ordered emotionlessly. Another moved to obey the command. Clark tried to turn his head away, despite the strap over his forehead, as the scientist tried to place the oxygen mask on his face. For his troubles all he got was a yank of his hair and then the mask being shoved on anyway.

Lex looked at him again, even thought inside it was killing him. It was his best friend on that operating table, just lying there _crying_. He was going to be cut open, and no matter what the reason, Lex had had a hand in it. There were just some things that you couldn't deny and couldn't feel alright about, even if your reasons were justified.

He wished he'd killed Jason, morals be damned. But he couldn't now, because if Clark was still here than he'd never get him out. The security cameras had to be disabled before he got Clark out, and there hadn't been time to do that before the scientists had arrived. Even if he'd killed Jason and gotten Clark out, there would have been no time to get rid of all samples and data. He hadn't had a choice.

The scientists moved around the table, readying themselves. Clark had paled considerably and looked so strange to Lex with a mask over his face. Once again he promised to himself that Clark would have anything he wanted once he was out of there. He would protect him and Jason would pay.

Clark began to strain under the restraints again as one of the men picked up a scalpel while another adjusted the light over the table. The rest of the lights in the room were dimmed. Clark's muscles were clearly defined as he fought to free himself. They stretched themselves taught and Lex thought he looked a little a sacrificial lamb must of as it was held down for the slaughter.

All his struggling was for nothing, though. The descent of the scalpel towards Clark's flesh was unceremonious and, with not enough preamble, at least in Lex's opinion for something so significant. Shouldn't something as great-yet in a terrible sense of the word-have more to it?

It shouldn't have been this easy, Lex thought. The first cut that sliced though Clark's skin like it was mere butter, shouldn't have been so easy to make. For a boy that could take being hit by a car, there should have been more to this, or so Lex thought.

The scream that came from Clark when the first cut was made, as well as the look in his eyes, was enough to touch anyone. It was such a frighteningly primal sound that it chilled Lex to the bone and he fancied that even the four scientists looked as though it had at least pieced some part of the cold, uncaring wall they'd built that kept them from caring about what they dissected. Jason looked untroubled, and that didn't surprise Lex. He seriously suspected that Jason might have cracked a little after his near-death the day before the meteor shower.

After a few more cuts and many more screams, Clark's flesh was peeled back, and Clark fainted. Lex silently thanked God. It was the largest luxury that Clark could have in that situation. Lex knew it wasn't enough, and he wished he could afford the boy more, but at the currant time, it was impossible.

Clamps held the flesh back and Lex was hit by a wave of anxiety when a look of disbelief was adopted by every scientists. "This-this isn't possible," one of them murmured.

"What is it?"

It took Lex a moment to realize it was Jason's voice.

"Mr. Teague, this-this is just...astonishing. I'm not sure what this boy is, but he is not human."

Well, damn, thought Lex. Just what had they seen to make them draw that conclusion?

Another scientist waved his hand, and Lex and Jason approached. His best friend's innards were not what Lex had ever had any desire to see, but at this point in the game he couldn't afford to look as though he was disgusted by what they were doing to Clark.

Looking _into_ Clark, he was amazed and a little bit in awe of what the scientist pointed to.

Clark had all the organs of a human, and they looked just like them, with the exception of what should have been his appendix. Instead of being nonfunctioning like a human's appendix, it was, well, functioning.

Blood appeared to be flowing into it and, strangely enough, the blood that came out of it was a lighter shade than that which went in. "His blood has healing properties, right?" one of the men asked.

Jason nodded. "Yeah."

"I think we've found out why."

Lex had always known Clark was unique, but this...this was just-wow. "You think this organ is what makes his blood...unique?" Lex asked.

"Yes," the man confirmed. "I'm nearly sure of it."

A long low moan turned Lex's attention back to Clark. Clark had been wrapped in a cloak of unconsciousness up until that point, but Lex really hadn't expected him to stay there. Another moan and he knew Clark had woken up. Pretty eyes fluttered open and he saw the absolute horror on Clark's face when he saw what had been done to him-What was _being_ done to him.

They were taking samples of his organs. Not much, but clearly enough to make him feel it, and Lex didn't even want to think about what it must be like to have someone poke at your organs.

Clark's chest began to rise and fall rapidly, only making things more painful for him. Lex couldn't take it. He moved beside Clark and gently stroked over his forehead. It was a gesture his mother had done when he was younger and it had always soothed him-not that he expected anything to be soothing to Clark in his present state.

"Lex." It was a soft moan, barely audible, but it cut through Lex like the knife had Clark. There had to be a change of plans. He couldn't let Clark remain like this until the drugs worked well enough on Jason.

Lex wasn't clear on whether it was for himself-his not being able to handle seeing Clark like this-or for Clark, or maybe it was both. He thought it was a little of both. Either way, he knew that Clark would be out of there as soon as possible.

"Shhh," he whispered. Clark's eyes were bright with tears and pain, the sheer suffering shinning like a beacon, but certainly not of hope. Clark blinked a few times and opened his mouth as if to say something again.

He never got to though, because one of the scientists took that moment to take a bone saw out, and find out exactly what was inside of Clark's bones-the bone in his wrist most specifically. There was no scream from Clark this time, but only a low guttural moan that was every bit as bad. Lex didn't take his hand off Clark's head, and he could feel the fever developing as well as the cold sweat that broke out.

"Amazing," Lex heard the men whisper.

"What is it?" he asked, before Jason could beat him to it.

"His bones-they're hollow."

Lex swallowed heavily. Abruptly he felt the tense muscles of Clark's forehead relax and he knew that Clark had passed out again. Hollow bones. That was certainly a new one.

"Like birds?" Jason asked.

"Yes, Sir," one of the scientists replied. "Exactly like birds. In fact, it almost seems like his insides were built for-for flying."

Lex chanced a glance at Jason. His eyes were wide in astonishment, yet there was a quality so avaricious that it scared Lex. "Wow."

Lex thought they must have forgotten that he was there. Strangely, for he usually hated that, he was thankful, for he was unsure that he would have been able to adequately hide his emotions. Clark was not-nor would he ever be _just a lab rat_. He was not something for experiments to be run on.

He broke out of his thoughts and realized that they'd stitched Clark up. He looked so young, lying there, held down by restraints all over his body, and with an ugly bunch of stitches running up his chest. He looked so helpless. Lex didn't want Clark to be helpless-not then, not ever.

"He's done," one of the scientists unceremoniously announced. They were gathering the samples up, labeling them meticulously. The notes that they had taken during their observations were also being placed into carefully marked binders. Everything was being cleared away. They turned off the light over the table as well. All that remained to show that they'd dissected a boy was said boy, lying unconscious on the table.

The scientists looked down at him. "What should we do with him for now?"

"Leave him here," Jason said uncaringly. Lex watched, a feeling of immense pleasure sprouting in his chest, as Jason raised his hand to his neck again, clearly having muscle pain. "He'll be fine for a night."

They only nodded. Nobody protested when Lex left Clark and moved over to the corner, picking up a thin, folded hospital style blanket that was there. They only watched him with what seemed to be contempt for a man who could care for an alien as he placed the blanket gently over Clark.

With a soft snort and shake of his head, Jason headed for the door. Lex followed, as did the other scientists. "Talk to your supervisors tonight and see if you can get more time off," Jason ordered them as they reached the stairs. "By the way, where did they think you went today?"

All four men grinned. "Perks of being government scientists; sometimes you can get off work _just because you want to_, no questions asked."

Jason nodded understandingly. "Well try and get out 'just because you want to' again."

Lex watched them all smile, their faces all betraying their greed, their hope to earn something off of Clark. As the men left, he'd never had more of a desire to put a bullet through anyone's head before.

Once they were gone, Jason turned to Lex. "That was certainly productive. Bet you never thought he was an alien."

Lex shook his head. "No, that was never an option I considered."

Jason shrugged. "The possibilities are always amazing, even if they don't come to fruition." Looking at Lex seriously, he said, "I'll see you tomorrow then?"

"I'm going to go make sure Clark doesn't need anything first, but, yes, I'll see you tomorrow."

"Suit yourself," he said, heading for the kitchen. Lex fervently hoped he was going for a drink.

Once Jason was gone, Lex immediately turned and headed for Clark's room.

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Clark was awake, even if his eyes were not open. It was a tactic Lex knew all too well: He'd used it himself in the days when his father had come into his room and he hadn't wanted to account for his wild behavior the night before. He knew Clark didn't want anyone to know he was awake yet, and he wasn't altogether certain that if Clark knew it was him he'd want to talk anyway.

"Clark," he called softly.

Clark's eyes flickered open. "What?"

Lex faltered. Clark sounded so resigned-so broken. And yet, he still sounded as though he was going to fight-broken, but not bereft of hope quite yet.

Lex didn't know if there were cameras in that room or not. Best not to give anything away yet. "How are you feeling?"

"That's not the question you really want to ask me." Maybe Clark was better at reading people than he thought. Or maybe his father was right-emotion does make you weak. Maybe everything he'd felt and seen today had just torn down his defenses. But that was Ok, because this was Clark, and he_ wanted_ him to know that something was up.

"But I'd like an answer."

"Lex, I was just a subject of _vivisection_. They did that sort of thing in the Holocaust. Things like that are not supposed to happen in twenty-first century America."

He stepped closer to Clark, and couldn't explain the un-rational feeling of fear that was gripping him. This was Clark. His best friend-his farm boy best friend. His Clark that he knew so well-why was he afraid of him?

He knew the answer to that question.

_Lie Lex, but never to yourself._

If he was honest with himself, it was because he wanted Clark to be proud of him. What it all came down to was that he wanted the approval of an eighteen year old Kansas farm boy. And he'd just watched said farm boy be dissected like a frog in a biology class. Naturally that farm boy probably wouldn't be very forthcoming with approval.

"Why are you just standing there watching me?"

A very good question, Lex thought. He hadn't even known that he was doing it.

"Go home, Lex. You can't straddle the fence between my secrets and my friendship. You've made your choice. Go home."

It was a good idea, Lex decided, but not because he had any intention of staying there. No, he'd be back that night. But for the time being, he decided it was an idea he'd use. Before he left, he walked over to the operating table and filled a syringe with a heavy sedative. Clark needed to sleep, and he'd have horrible dreams if it wasn't drug induced.

Clark must have realized that, because he didn't struggle as Lex injected him with the drug. Once he was done, Lex set the syringe aside. "Sleep, Clark," he muttered softly, as he left.

Once outside the door, he could only think of the words of Douglas MacArthur in World War Two, corny as they might have seemed in the present situation.

_I will return_


	11. Chapter 11

Waiting for that night was the hardest, longest wait Lex had ever experienced. The time seemed to stretch by, and then right before he'd been ready to set out again for the lab, the doors to his office opened.

Chloe.

Not what he needed right then.

"How's he doing, Lex?" she immediately asked.

"You can ask him when I bring him home tomorrow," he said dryly, getting his coat.

"You mean it worked? Jason has been painted as having been sacked in his time as quarterback a few too many times and has been carted off to the nut house?" She looked so hopeful. For some reason Lex felt bad killing that hope.

"No."

"What?" she asked, her face falling.

"But I'm brining Clark home anyway. He can't stay there any longer. They-he's just got to come home. They were…torturing him, so to speak."

Her chin dropped and her hand flew to her mouth. "No."

"Yes." His voice was still calm, even, and not betraying what he really felt. "So I'm bringing him home. He'll have to stay hidden for a while, but I do own a Scottish castle, and at least he'll be able to see his parents. Martha got out of the hospital today, I believe."

Chloe ignored him "I'm going with you to get him."

His face sealed with a stony expression. "You. Are. Not."

She put her hands on her hips, pursed her lips, and looked every bit the intimidating reporter-type. "I am. I will grab a hold of your back bumper and drag myself along with you if the need arises. My friend is in trouble and I am going to help you get him out of it."

Lex groaned and rubbed the bridge of his nose. "And if you get us in more trouble?"

"You know I'm good at breaking into things."

There was nothing, Lex thought, like the truth that was better for giving someone a cold, hard dose of reality. And yes, she was, he had to admit, unnaturally good at breaking into things. The number of times she'd broken into something that he owned...

"Fine," he mumbled. "Let's go."

As they were leaving, he could have sworn that her lip curled upward in a small smile.

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"Be very quiet. Are you sure you don't want to wait in the car?" Lex was rethinking his rash decision to take Chloe alone. Jason actually stayed at the lab. What had he been thinking bringing a teenager along?

"I'm going in."

Right; it was Chloe, about as tenacious as they came. Ah, yes, now he remembered. "Fine, but _no noise_."

Lex killed the engine and took out his set of keys to the building. They both left the car and quietly slipped inside.

The hallways were pitched black and Lex was sure that anyone could hear the racket their shoes were making on the floor. Why had he worn shoes that squeaked? He should have known better by now.

Pulling out a tiny pocket flashlight, he shone it down the hall, lighting their way. The walk had never seemed longer than at that moment.

After what seemed like hours, they reached Clark's door. Lex withdrew his keys again. In the dark he had trouble finding the right one, and, in a fit of annoyance, Chloe grabbed the key ring from him. When she gave it back, he was shocked to find that she'd found the right one. When he looked at her, she only smirked.

The door clicked open and Lex moved inside. Clark's form could be seen lying on the table. Chloe soft gasp came from beside him. Together they moved beside Clark's still form.

Lex didn't want to scare Clark, but it was imperative that he remain quiet. Before he had a chance to wake up, Lex clamped a hand over his mouth and then gently shook his shoulder. Clark eyes immediately shot open, seemingly outlined even more by the dim light of the flashlight. As Lex had predicted, he tried to yell, but his cries were easily stifled by Lex's hand. "No, no, shhh, Clark, I'm taking you home, we're taking you home."

Clark's eyes looked up into his, searching. Chloe's soft hitch of breath from beside him was the only thing that made him look away. Clark tried again to say something into his hand as Chloe reached down and combed a hand through his hair. "No, Clark," Lex reproached him. "Quiet. Nod if you understand me."

Clark nodded and Lex moved his hand off his mouth. "Chloe," Clark whispered.

"We're taking you home, Clark," she promised, her voice slightly choked up.

"Yes, please, yes," he murmured.

Tears sprang into Chloe's eyes. "We're going to take you home, Clark. I promise" she whispered back.

Lex snapped back to the reality that he'd so easily bled out of when he'd seen Clark and Chloe interacting. Having been jolted back into it, he quickly got on task by undoing Clark's restraints.

The leather had been soft, so there was only mild bruising. Clark squirmed a little as Lex moved passed Clark's upper body and began to take off the restraint holding Clark's hips down. "No, don't move," he commanded gently, laying a hand on Clark's thigh to steady him."

"S'rry," came Clark's mumbled reply.

Lex looked up and caught Chloe's eye, silently communicating to her to help keep Clark quiet.

"We're going to go home, Clark. Everything's going to be alright," she promised, stroking at his cheek.

Clark leaned into the touch, as if starved for comfort from someone he trusted. The way he was looking at Lex, well, he clearly thought the jury was still out on the older man's motives. He obviously hadn't placed his trust back in Lex yet. Chloe was currently his safety-the comforting presence. He was looking at her with complete and utter relief.

Lex continued unbuckling Clark until the last restraint fell away. When Clark went to sit up, Lex placed both hands firmly on the boy's shoulders and pushed him back down. "No, you were just cut open. You're going to take things slow." His tone was soft, but it must have been commanding, because Clark stopped his attempts to sit up.

"Chloe, there's a wheel chair and hospital gown over there. Get them for me."

Lex had to appreciate her skills in stealth. She got both items quickly and efficiently, but bought both-especially the wheel chair-back without making a sound. Lex and Chloe put in a joint effort to get the gown on Clark. "Now sit up," Lex told Clark, placing a hand behind his back to help him. "There you go. Yeah, lean on me. Don't put pressure on your stomach."

The effort it took to put forth movement was clearly taxing Clark, but, even as beads of perspiration began to appear on his forehead and his face scrunched in pain, he followed Lex's directions.

"Good," Lex murmured. "Ok, now just lean on me, yes, there you go." It took a little maneuvering and Clark let out a small cry, but Lex managed to get him into the wheel chair. Chloe had a hand on Clark's shoulder as soon as he was settled into it.

Clark reached his own hand up, engulfing her tiny, petite, hand in his own much larger one. It was a gesture of trust and just raw_ need _that Clark had to have someone to hold onto. He wanted the contact right now-he had to have it. He had to know Chloe was there. Suddenly Lex was very glad he'd brought her with him.

"We've got to go," Lex whispered. Clark looked at him nervously, but Chloe only met his eye and nodded.

Lex took the back of the chair. Chloe made a move to slip her hand from Clark's, but he only grabbed her tighter, more insistently. She was acting as his lifeline. She only smiled softly and kept her hand in his as they left the room.

Lex went very slowly, keeping the wheelchair as silent as possible. Clark was looking around fearfully, as if he expected something terrible to happen at any moment. And, if Lex was honest with himself, he did too.

They reached the stairs to the outside with no opposition. Lex thought he could really use some luck right then, because there was no way he could get a wheel chair up the stairs. Chloe seemed to have noticed the problem as well, judging by her slightly vexed expression. "Can you carry him?" she asked softly. Lex saw Clark's hand tighten on hers. It was really going to take some doing to earn back Clark's trust.

"I'm going to have to."

"What about the wheel chair?" she asked, the question of whether or not they should hide it posing itself, even if it wasn't vocalized.

He shook his head "It'll be obvious that he's gone anyway and even more obvious that someone took him. One wheel chair won't matter."

Lex came around the front of the chair. "Lean forward," he told Clark softly.

Clark gritted his teeth against the pain and did as he was told, only reluctantly letting go of Chloe's hand. Thanking God for having made Clark with hollow bones, Lex slipped an arm under and behind him, lifting him as Clark worked with him by putting an arm across his shoulder, despite his obvious reluctance to do so. Even so, Clark was still too heavy to really carry.

Clark was so stiff against him. So stiff and so scared. And, really, who could blame him? The man holding him had watched him be dissected. Lex let out a soft grunt as he started up the stairs. Chloe held the flashlight and was doing her part by shinning it in front of Lex.

After what seemed like a mountain climb to Lex, they reached the door. Chloe scooted ahead and opened it. The night air was cool and Clark shivered against him, reminding Lex that he was only in a hospital gown and while summer was approaching, the nights were still too chilly for clothing like that.

The car was parked a few paces away, and Lex saw Clark look at the thing suspiciously when he saw it was a simple Chevy Impala-a drastic change from what Lex usually drove. "I didn't want it to be obvious in case someone saw us," Lex whispered to him as they approached the char. Clark squirmed a little against him in response.

Chloe opened the door once they reached the car, and as gently as he could, Lex settled Clark in the back seat. They'd brought pillows and blankets along as well, because they'd both wanted Clark to be as comfortable as possible for the ride. (Lex had decided it would be best to go back to Smallville-staying in Metropolis would have been foolish.)

Chloe climbed in the back seat after Clark. Lex had expected that she would. He hadn't expected that she'd climb behind Clark and settle him against her, her chest to his back. But Clark seemed to like it, and he closed his eyes with a small smile forming on his face, so Lex decided it was fine.

He slipped into the driver's seat, because, really, he didn't have a lot of time. He had to get Clark and Chloe back home and then drive back here-or maybe he'd just take a helicopter-and put on an award winning acting performance and act like he hadn't taken Clark.

He didn't look at the back seat again until they were safely on the highway, and even then, it was only in the rear view mirror. Chloe saw his gaze and met it in the mirror, smiling at him. "He's asleep; we can talk."

She was gently carding through Clark's raven colored locks with her right hand, while her left arm curled up and over Clark's collar bone, with her hand resting on his opposite shoulder, effectively holding his upper body against her. Clark's lips were frozen in a sort of half smile. His left hand held the wrist of her arm that was curled around him, holding it as if to assure himself that she was there.

"Not surprising. I sedated him pretty heavily before I left him today."

"What did they do to him, Lex? We never really talked about it since I caught you on your way out. It must have been something big, since this is breaking the plan."

Smart girl, Lex wasn't sure if that annoyed him or if he liked it. Maybe appreciated it was a better way to put it. She picked up on his hesitancy to answer her.

"It was bad wasn't it? He's so scared."

"Chloe," his voice choked up as he remembered Clark crying for him. "Chloe, they preformed vivisection on him."

Her hand stopped petting Clark momentarily, and the shock was obvious on her face. "They-he was awake, wasn't he-oh my-damn."

"Yeah."

"That's why he's scared of you."

Well, leave it to Chloe to put it bluntly. Lex flinched a little. The truth really did hurt. "I couldn't stop it without ruining any chance for his escape. But I knew I had to get him out. Screw the plan-he was shattering in front of me."

"He'll trust you again. Give it time."

"Chloe, they were dissecting him and he screamed for me. I didn't help him. It's going to take a lot to get over that."

She went back to petting Clark's hair as Clark moaned a little and frowned in his sleep. As soon as she began again he exhaled softly and his face relaxed. "He'll understand. You'll talk to him at the mansion and things-they'll work out."

Lex focused his eyes back on the road. Maybe Clark would forgive him, but, remembering Clark's screams, he wasn't sure if he'd forgive himself.


	12. Chapter 12

More Chlark for all of you who wanted it!  By the way, I'm looking for ideas for another fiction, so if anyone has got any (or wants to see me write about something) I'd be really thankful if you sent them to me!

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They'd reached Smallville at five thirty that morning. The sun had just begun to peek into the sky, turning it slightly pink. Lex parked the car at the back entrance of the mansion. The staff couldn't know Clark was there. He didn't know how many of them would sell them out.

Clark's eyes fluttered open as Lex pulled him out of the car and picked him up again. Maybe it was the motion that had awoken him, but Lex thought it was more likely the loss of Chloe. "Hey, Lex," he said softly, his voice weak. "Thanks for getting me out."

"It's my fault you were there originally."

Up until that point he hadn't fully realized that, and he'd be darned if it was always Clark who managed to bring the truth out of him. At those words Clark looked up at him and his brows furrowed. "What?"

"No, I didn't sell you into that, but it was my sloppiness that led Jason to you-that allowed Jason to even live." The weakness of Clark's voice-it nearly killed Lex.

Clark's brow relaxed again, and his body even relaxed as Chloe fell into step beside them, only going ahead to open the door. She looked so happy, Lex thought, even smiling when Clark was brought through the door. He hadn't the heart to tell her that Clark's road to recovery wasn't going to be easy.

"You can't always blame yourself for what happens indirectly."

"I can't not blame myself for the look on your face when they-Clark..."

"It wasn't your fault."

Lex brought him down the hallway and into the room he'd had prepared. It wasn't a large room, but it wasn't tiny either. Its furnishings were modest and the carpet was red, but in the light of the sun coming through the wide windows, their red curtains pulled back to let in the sun, it seemed almost welcoming. He laid Clark on the bed, and Clark sighed softly.

"How are you feeling?" Chloe asked, instantly at his side.

"Happy to see you again," he murmured with a smile.

She grinned back and him and rubbed a finger across his brow line. "It was Lex that got you back."

Both teenagers turned their gaze back to Lex. Lex only looked down at the bed. "I don't deserve any gratitude."

"I heard your talk in the car last night when you thought I was asleep," Clark said suddenly.

Lex jerked his head up in surprise at that, and even Chloe looked a little taken aback. "You did?" Lex asked slowly, not sure how to feel about that.

"I forgive you, Lex," he said simply.

"Clark-"

"No, Lex, I do. You did what you could to help me. You _did _help me. If it wasn't for you I'd still be in that lab."

"Clark, I don't think you get this. This whole thing isn't over by any stretch of the imagination. You've got to stay hidden, because Jason-Jason's still out there. Your parents, Chloe, Lana and Lois if you want them, can come see you, but that's it."

Clark looked at him almost innocently for a moment, and Lex had no idea-_no idea_-how Clark could possibly still be so innocent. But then again, he supposed he was thankful, because that was Clark. "Okay."

"I'm going back to the lab in a few hours. I've got to keep drugging Jason. It's the only chance we have..."

"I trust you."

It was so blunt, and how could Clark trust him when just a few hours ago he'd looked at him like he'd ripped his heart out personally? But if he was really honest with himself, he knew he had the girl sitting beside him to thank. Chloe and what she had said in the car had done this. And he was so thankful for that. In answer to Clark's statement he could only nod.

Turning to Chloe, he requested, "Call Clark's parents and get them over here."

She nodded. As Lex walked out of the room, he stopped just outside the door. He wasn't sure what it was, but something compelled him to turn around and look. He was unsurprised to see that Clark had taken Chloe's hand again. He was a little more surprised to see that look in his best friend's eyes that was usually reserved for Lana only. It was, Lex thought, a little like love.

--------------------------------

"He's gone." Jason's eyes were cold and they told Lex all too clearly that Jason suspected him.

"Clark? Gone where?" He put every acting skill he had to the test as he said those words.

"Just gone. A wheel chair at the bottom of the stairs is all the evidence we've got."

"Well, they can't have gotten far."

Jason's jaw was clenched tightly and his hands were in fists. Lex imagined that his nails were probably digging into his palms. "I've had men out looking for hours. The bindings weren't broken, Lex-they were undone. Kent didn't get away-someone helped him out."

"Do you have any viable suspects?"

Jason shook his head. "Absolutely none." Lex watched as he brought his hand to his neck to rub the muscles that were obviously hurting him.

"Then what do we do?"

"We find him-that's what. We do whatever it takes. I will get those stones!" he yelled, anger flashing from his eyes and a little spittle flying from his mouth. Lex decided it was just a little scary _how_ well the drugs were working-or maybe this was inner potential manifesting itself.

"Well, not keeping your emotions in check is certainly a cast-iron way to make sure it doesn't happen!" he said calmly.

Jason lost it. "Damnit! Don't play games with me! You took him, I know you took him! I saw the way you were looking at him when he was being cut open! I know you took him!" Jason took a swing at him and Lex was thankful for the training that allowed him to easily block the punch and throw one of his own.

Jason took it to his lip and fell backward. When he straightened up there was blood on his mouth and his eyes looked mad. "So stabbing people in the back is how you climbed so high up the corporate ladder, huh? Not hard to believe. Luthors are famous for their dirty dealings."

Lex remained passive. "You've lost it, Jason. You're mentally unstable."

Jason started forward again. "Yeah? Well, finding out your mother was killed, nearly getting killed yourself, finding the thing that could give you everything you ever wanted, and then loosing that thing because you were stabbed in the back by your 'partner', will do that to you. Where's Clark?"

Lex had known that a moment like what was happening would have had to take place. It was inevitable, unavoidable, undeniable. He took the gun he'd had in his pocket out. "I think that you'd be wise to watch me leave."

He backed slowly up the stairs to the door, never taking his gun off of Jason. He was lucky that he'd drugged all the drinks the night before he taken Clark.

---------------------------

Clark felt the warm sunlight on his face and he sighed happily. There was still Kryptonite in his bloodstream, but he was feeling a lot better and the bed he was in was incredibly nice. So was the hand in his, the fingers of which were gently stroking his knuckles.

He forced his eyes open and saw Chloe. She was sitting on a chair next to him, reading a book while the afternoon light was hitting her in such a way that it made her seem ethereal-she seemed to glow. It was truly beautiful. "Chlo," he muttered.

Her gaze immediately turned from the book she'd been reading to him. She smiled, showing all of her perfect teeth. "How are you feeling?" she asked gently, squeezing his hand a little tighter.

"Tired," he said honestly, still watching her through half-lidded eyes.

"Yeah," she said with a laugh. "I suppose vivisection will do that to her."

Clark flinched a little. That was a memory he'd just assume forget.

"Sorry," she apologized, seeing his flinch. "I know that can't be the happiest of memories for you. I'll listen if you want to talk about it, though."

"I appreciate that, but I don't think I really want to."

The door swung open slowly. Both he and Chloe turned to see the newcomer and were a little startled to find Lana. "Lana?" Clark asked, slightly surprised.

Chloe prepared to sink back into the shadows again. It had been so nice being Clark's comfort while it had lasted. Inconspicuously she tried to slip her hand from his. To her immense surprise he only gripped her hand a little tighter, giving it a slight squeeze.

"How are you feeling, Clark? Lex told me bits and pieces about what happened." She sounded concerned and her large doe eyes held her worry.

"I'm better, Lana. Why have you been staying at the mansion?"

She closed her eyes briefly. "Some things...happened in the meteor shower."

"Anything I can do to help?" he asked softly.

"That goes for both of us," Chloe added.

Lana smiled softly. "Thanks, but I don't think so. Lex-he's pretty much got it covered."

"I think we all owe him a thank you," Clark said seriously.

Chloe sighed a little, her face tinged with sadness. "He's not going to accept a thank you, Clark. He feels responsible for you."

Lana sat down on the bed beside Clark, her hands in her lap. "It was eating him alive-what he was doing to you, I mean. He was coming home every night, well, I've been living here-I saw it. It wasn't pretty, believe me."

"She's right, Clark," Chloe added. "I'd come to see him and he'd tell me just how torn up he was by what he was allowing to be done to you."

"You don't need to convince me to forgive him," he told them both gently. "I don't blame him for what's happened, and I thank him for getting me out. I'll deal with what was done to me. You don't need to worry."

The three shared a smile. Lana didn't notice, not by any fault of her own-she simply didn't have that perceptiveness to other's hidden thoughts and feelings-but Chloe could clearly see the slightly haunted look in Clark's eyes. She knew Lex could see it too and had probably seen it when Clark was in the lab. They both had that gift-curse-whatever. No matter what it was, they had it.

After Lana had left the room and Clark had gone back to sleep, Chloe continued to watch him. His slumber was that of a peaceful person, except for the slight wetness beneath his eyes. The illusion of peaceful slumber was broken when Clark cried out softly in his sleep. Remembering that her presence in the car had helped, she climbed onto the bed with Clark and curled up in the crook of his arm. It was a strangely peaceful spot.


	13. Chapter 13

Chloe was unaware that she'd fallen asleep until the door opened. She opened her eyes and looked around. Lex was standing in the doorway looking slightly amused, even displaying that sort of half-smirk that he did sometimes.

"Comfortable?" he asked, his voice rumbling slightly. "Clark looks to be."

She glanced down and realized that at some point Clark had turned over and had buried his face in her shoulder. She blushed when she saw that but reached over to stroke his hair back out of his face anyway.

"He was crying in his sleep."

Lex nodded and walked over to the bed. He sat down beside her. "Lana tells me she visited."

"Yeah," Chloe admitted.

"How'd it go?" The look on his face told Chloe that he knew far too much. He still knew how she felt about Clark and he obviously knew how Lana's visit had made her feel.

"Good, actually."

He smiled knowingly. "You sound surprised."

"I am," she admitted truthfully. "I expected to be brushed to the back again."

"But you weren't."

The man really was far too perceptive. "No," she agreed with a smile. "I wasn't. It was nice."

"What was nice?" Clark's sleep-fogged voice asked.

"You're awake," Lex announced quietly, his pleasure evident. Looking at Chloe he requested, "May I have a word with Clark?"

She nodded and got up. Clark looked reluctant to let her go but said nothing. The click of the door made Clark flinch as he remembered how doors in the lab had sounded like that while he was being left alone for a good few more hours.

"Feeling better?" Lex asked once she was gone.

"Yeah," Clark murmured, smiling softly at Lex. "You should really stop blaming yourself, Lex. I'm not blaming you and I'm the one who went though Hell. Don't you think it's a little stupid to be blaming yourself if I'm not blaming you?"

Lex laughed, but it was a bitter sound. "Clark, I watched you beg me and I saw your face when they did things to you. You were all but pleading non-stop for me to help you. You don't know what it's like to watch your best friend do that."

Clark nodded understandingly. "I may not, but I know what it's like to see, in retrospect, the looks on your best friend's face while he watches you beg. I might not have understood at the time, Lex, but I understand now."

"Thanks." Lex ran a hand over his head and then asked, "So you and Chloe..."

"What about us?"

"C'mon, Clark, I saw the way you were looking at her."

Clark shrugged beneath his blankets. "Yeah?"

"You looked at her the way you used to look at Lana."

Clark nodded and bit his lip. He was silent for a moment before saying, "I always thought that I'd end up with Lana, you know? She's a great person and I could do a lot worse. It was just this whole thing-this will sound cliché-it made me see her in a whole new light. It was like I'd taken off blinders and-"

"You were seeing her for the first time," Lex finished for him. "And what did you see?"

"That maybe there was more to offer than I thought. I get the impression that she did a lot to bring me home."

Lex laughed softly. "More than you know. I don't think you would have made it back on that car ride without her."

"Yeah, that was a help. I don't know, Lex, it's just she looks at me and I know she knows she loves me-and she knows what love is. Lana-as great as she is-I don't think she knows what love is. Up until this point I'm not sure I did either."

"So you think you're in love with Chloe now?" If this hadn't been Clark he would have sworn he was on a bad soap opera.

"I don't know," Clark replied seriously. "But I'm certainly willing to find out."

Lex only gave him a soft smile. They held each other's stares for a long time.

----------------------------

Lana walked away from the door, tears in her eyes. She knew that she shouldn't have been listening to Clark and Lex's conversation, but she hadn't been able to help it. She'd been worried about Clark and had wanted to know about Jason.

As she walked down the hall she had to work to keep her sobs low and her step even. It hurt so much to realize that Clark didn't love her. Despite what Clark thought, she really did love him. It had been the reason she'd gone to see him in the barn before the meteor shower. It had been the reason she'd given him the stone.

She finally reached her room and went inside, being sure to lock the door. As she sat down on her bed she realized she couldn't really blame Clark. After all, she'd been the one who'd run to Paris and come back with a new boyfriend. She'd blown him off that whole year._ She'd_ pushed _him_ away.

She had no one to blame but herself.

---------------------------

Chloe had gone to the farm to tell Clark's parents that Clark was home and that they needed to come see him. As she was driving her little red Volkswagen beetle down the road she smiled as she thought how happy the Kents were going to be.

Jonathan's leg was getting better, and Martha was recovering nicely at home. Clark was going to be so happy, and Chloe liked that.

She wasn't prepared when the car in front of her swerved. As quickly as she could she slammed on the break, barely avoiding hitting the car. Her heart dropped when the door of the other car opened and Jason got out with a gun. He pointed it level to her head and made a motion for her to get out of the car.

"What do you want?" she asked, noting the dark circles under and the blurry quality of his eyes.

"Kent. I want Kent. I want those stones. He knows where they are," Jason yelled.

"Clark doesn't know anything!" she tried to tell him.

Jason cut her across by screaming, "Shut up! Don't lie to me! Where is he!"

"I don't know! He's been missing for a couple of weeks!"

"But you know where he is!"

Jason shook the gun threateningly, still yelling. He looked very much like a man possessed. "I don't have time to play games. Tell me or I'll blow your damn head off!"

"I don't know!" she repeated.

"He's at Luthor's, isn't he?" He shot the gun into the air. "Isn't he!" He re-cocked it and leveled it with her again.

"I-I don't know what you're talking about! Lex hasn't been able to find Clark!"

"That's where he is, isn't it!" Jason repeated.

"Clark's not at Lex's!" Her face was paling with every second that passed. Could this really have been the man Lana had dated for a year?

"Yes he is!"

The man was obviously crazy. Nothing had ever been more apparent to Chloe in her life. Before she could do anything, Jason raised the gun and pulled the trigger.

The impact was nearly instantaneous. The bullet hit her in the chest and she stumbled backwards. There was a sharp pain and a mysterious warmth. "Uh," she gasped, sinking to her knees as Jason got back in the car.

The last thing she saw before blacking out was Jason driving away.


	14. Chapter 14

"Clark!" Lex called as he walked into the bedroom.

Clark looked up expectantly from the book he was reading at the sound of his friend's voice. "What's up, Lex?"

Lex stood at the end of the bed, his face a mask of seriousness. "Chloe never made it to your parent's farm."

Clark completely set aside the book he'd been reading and gave Lex his full attention. "What?"

"It's exactly what I said: She never made it."

Clark shifted so he was straight up against the headboard. "What happened to stop her?"

"She was found on route 60, shot."

Clark's eyes went impossibly wide and his jaw dropped. The color that had been returning to his cheeks vanished. "Is she...alive?"

"Yes," Lex replied quickly. "Yes, and she's going to be alight, but, Clark, you know this means that Jason is still determined."

"Did you really think he'd give up?" Clark asked seriously.

Lex looked at him with slight annoyance. "What aren't you getting here? You've got a psychopath after you and you're being this nonchalant about it?"

Clark swallowed. "He doesn't know where I am. And you've got security."

"Clark, my security stinks. We both know that. Just about everyone who's ever wanted to kill me has gotten passed it. And as for him not knowing where you are-come on, Clark, be smarter than that. He suspects me. Where do you think he's going to suspect you're hiding?"

Clark swallowed. "You have a plan?"

Lex shook his head. "Not yet, but I want you in some room of the castle that's less conspicuous."

Clark glanced around briefly before returning his gaze to Lex's face and nodding. "Yeah, ok."

"And even though it's probably a death sentence, I'm calling your parents."

Clark smiled softly and whispered, "Yeah."

-----------------------------

The new room where he was nice, and the entrance to it was hidden behind a bookcase. Lex called it the perks of an old Scottish castle. Clark called it a hidden passage.

Its walls were a creamy yellow and its floors were hardwood. It was a fairly small space-small enough that it wasn't obvious to the unpracticed eye that there was a hidden room there if they were to look from the outside. Clark's only complaint was that its window was small. He assumed that was because the place had to pass for a storage area from the outside of the castle.

The bed here was smaller, but was still certainly suitable. There was no bathroom though, so Lex had instructed him to carefully scan with his x-ray vision before even considering leaving the room.

So far everything was running smoothly. Lex had called only a few hours earlier to tell him that Chloe might be out of the hospital as early as the next day, and Lex was off talking to his parents at that very minute. It they could just find Jason things might have a chance of going back to normal.

---------------------------------

Lex knocked on the door of the Kent farm. He felt a little guilty since he hadn't been updating them on their son as much as he certainly should have. But then again, he had been quite busy making sure said son was alright.

He heard the muffled grumblings of Jonathan Kent as well as the faint sound of his crutches hitting the floor before the door opened in front of him. When Jonathan saw who is was his face went from shock, to relief, to anger.

"Where the Hell have you been, Lex? Where is my son?"

"He's at my mansion, Mr. Kent. He's alright, but Jason is still unaccounted for. Frankly, my coming to you could get you in more danger than you already are."

Jonathan's jaw clenched as he growled, "He's my _son_, Lex. There is no danger too great for me to face to insure my child's well-being."

Lex nodded. "I know. Is Mrs. Kent home as well?"

"Yes," he replied before he turned around and called, "Martha!"

It was about a minute before the soft thump of socked feet could be heard coming down the stairs. Martha Kent looked a little worse for the ware. Her face was paler and more drawn than Lex remembered and she appeared to have lost weight. She looked older.

"Where's my son?" she asked as soon as she saw Lex.

"At my mansion," he assured her. "I want you and Mr. Kent to come tonight, but there are some things you should know first."

Jonathan put an arm around his wife's waist protectively. Both looked to Lex expectantly. "Alright," Jonathan said a long last.

"Clark's been tortured beyond what anyone should have to endure. He is doing remarkably well, but I don't think scars like that just disappear overnight. It's possible that he's keeping it together because he's trying to be strong. I just want you to be prepared."

Both of the Kents nodded. "We'll do whatever it takes," Martha assured him.

"Anything," Jonathan seconded her. "Anything at all."

Lex nodded solemnly before turning and heading down the steps. Over his shoulder he called, "Tonight then. Come by the back entrance."

None of them noticed the small recording device on the porch.

-------------------------

Sometime around eleven PM the Kents pulled up to the back entrance of Luthor mansion. They parked their truck and hurriedly went inside. Lex had left the door unlocked for them.

Once they were inside they were immediately met by a servant. "Mr. Luthor has given orders that you are to come with me," the woman told them politely.

Martha and Jonathan exchanged an undecipherable look but followed. The woman led them down winding corridor after winding corridor until both Kents were so thoroughly lost that they didn't think they could ever find their way out.

The servant finally stopped in front of a bookshelf. "No offence ma'am, but that doesn't really look like-" Jonathan started to say. He was cut short by Martha's whispered, "Shhh."

A moment later the servant pushed the bookcase aside, revealing an actual door. The then servant inserted a key into the lock and turned it, opening the door.

Both parents were slightly shocked and incredibly relieved by what lay before them. Their son-their baby who had been missing for too long-was lying on his stomach in bed, fast asleep. The very untouchable Lex Luthor was sitting beside him, his hand gently rubbing his back. There were tears on Clark's cheeks and before Lex could sufficiently mask his expression, both Jonathan and Martha saw the intense look of worry and concern on the man's face.

"Mr. Kent, Mrs. Kent," he greeted them, stepping away from Clark.

Martha appeared not to hear him for she hurried passed him to her son. Jonathan spared him a confused glance before going to his son's side as well. "Clark," Martha whispered, not waking him yet, but only stroking the hair out of his face. She looked up at Lex. The worry was evident in every line of her face. "He's crying-why?" she managed to say.

Lex looked at her sadly. "I warned you that things might not be normal," he told them.

"But he-he's crying!"

Lex nodded and pity bloomed on his face. "He always does unless someone's right with him. Tonight he even cried with me here-not that he's ever aware of it and no one tells him that he's been crying when he wakes up. Although, Clark's a smart boy; I'm sure he knows, but pride doesn't let him say so."

"Jonathan," Martha muttered, glancing down at her son again, looking heartbroken.

"I know, sweetheart, but Clark's strong. He'll be alright."

She nodded and sat down on the bed. "Honey," she murmured. "Baby, wake up."

As gently as she could she pulled Clark into her lap. His eyes began to flutter open as she began to stroke his hair lovingly. "M-Mom?" he asked with a smile.

"Yes, baby, it's me-and Dad too."

Clark looked around and smiled before sitting up. "You looked worried," he said softly, a small smile still gracing his lips.

"Clark, son, we didn't know-you-we didn't know if we'd see you again."

"I'm not that easy to kill," he said with a laugh. "And Lex's is awfully determined when he wants to be." He glance passed his parents and gave Lex a smile. Holding Lex's eyes, he said, "He doesn't like to fail."

Lex smiled back and turned to leave the room. The Kents let him go, desperate for some family time after all that had happened. Once Lex was gone, Jonathan immediately asked, "Are you alright, son?"

Clark nodded. "I'll be OK, Dad. I mean no one really _wants_ to be dissected, but it's over and-"

"Jason's still at large," his mother reminded him.

"Yes, son," Jonathan added. "I don't want you taking this lightly."

Clark nodded, but looked as though he were desperately trying to block out the subject of discussion. "Ok," he said softly.

Martha and Jonathan shared a look of concern before Martha went back to simply holding her baby close as her husband sat beside them on the bed, both of them rubbing their son's back in a gesture of pure parental love.


	15. Chapter 15

"How are you feeling, Chloe?"

Chloe grinned upon seeing Smallville's favorite billionaire walk into the room. "Better, thanks," she replied with a slight laugh. "Leave it to me to always get in sticky situations."

Lex looked at her seriously. "It's not funny, Chloe. You know you could have been killed."

Her smile fell. "Yeah, Lex, I know. But sometimes it's better to be an optimist instead of a pessimist."

Lex nodded while chewing slightly on his lip in a look of pure thought. "Just make sure that you don't turn that optimism into willing ignorance to the problem."

Her face fell a little more. "Thanks, I'll be sure not to."

Sighing, Lex said, "Look, I didn't come here to fight."

She nodded. "Yeah, I know. I'm out tomorrow if it makes you feel any better."

"It does," he said sincerely. "You've identified to the police that it was Jason Teague who shot you."

"Yes," she answered. "He's officially on the wanted list, but there are still no leads as to where he is. All the roads out of Smallville are blockaded, but so far there's been nothing."

Lex continued to chew on his lip. "Naturally, that's true. Chloe, he doesn't want to get out of Smallville. No, he wants to get into my mansion."

"He's still after Clark then?" she inquired calmly, but Lex could see the underlying fear.

"There's no doubt. He was crazy-with or without the drugs-and he thinks Clark holds the key to the stones." Lex simply looked at Chloe for a minute before finally asking, "Does he?"

"Does he what?"

"Hold the key to the stones. I think he knows where one of them is."

"I think you need to talk to him about that," she replied, her tone a bit icy.

"I think you're right." Lex turned to leave, but stopped at the door to say, "By the way, come to the mansion once you get out of the hospital. I know Clark will want to see you."

Chloe nodded slightly as Lex left the room. As she watched the door swing closed she couldn't help but think that Lex sometimes just didn't know when to stop pushing.

------------------------------

Clark had fallen asleep with his head on his mother's lap. The Kents had been at Lex's mansion with their son until five o'clock in the morning. At that point Lex returned.

"He's finally sleeping soundly," he commented upon walking in and seeing his friend in a peaceful slumber.

Martha nodded and kept stroking his hair. "I hate to be the barer of bad news, but it's best if you leave now."

"What?" Jonathan exclaimed. "Luthor, if you think I'm leaving my son like this, you've got another thing-"

"You need to put his safety before your desire to be near him." Seeing the lack of understanding on the Kent's part, he added, "If you aren't at home in the morning it will be obvious that you were somewhere else. People will get thinking. When people think, they gossip. I'm sure in some way or another that gossip will get back to Jason. When it does he'll realize that you know where Clark is, and that would be an infinitely dangerous thing."

Though both looked upset to be leaving their son at such a vulnerable time, both got up, Martha untangling her hands from her son's hair and laying his head upon a pillow, and Jonathan simply standing up and giving his son one last affectionate rub of the shoulder.

As they were moving to leave, Jonathan Kent stopped and held out his hand to Lex. At first Lex only looked at the hand until it dawned on him that he should shake it. Trying not to act too surprised he put his hand in Jonathan's. "Lex, I want to sincerely thank you for what you've done for Clark. You're a better friend than I ever gave you credit for."

Lex could only stare numbly at the elder farmer. Finally he managed to say, "Thank you, that means a lot, Mr. Kent."

Jonathan only gave him a slight nod before following his wife from the room. Lex wandered back over to his chair by Clark's bed. He went back to his role of stroking Clark's back gently and thinking about the significance of what had just been said.

------------------------------

Jason watched the Kent's truck pull into their driveway and to the barn. He listened quietly to the hidden microphone on their porch. He hadn't been able to get one in their house, because they were the type of people who always kept their door and windows locked. While that annoyed him he'd still gotten some good information out of bugging their door.

The Kents ascended the steps and their conversation came into ear shot or the microphone. "Martha, I don't know."

"You saw him!"

"I don't think we can do anything right now."

"Jonathan, he's-he's in terrible emotional pain! I can't just leave him like that. Besides, he hasn't healed yet anyway! There's still Kryptonite in his system from the injections Lex said Jason gave him."

Jonathan sighed as he fumbled with his keys. "As much as I hate to say it, I think that right now the best place for him is with Lex at the mansion. That hidden room Lex has him in is about as safe as he can get. Jason will never find it."

He finally found the right key and put it in the slot. The door unlocked with a sharp 'click'.

"But he was-you saw him! That's our son!"

Jason heard no more, because at that moment they went inside. He smiled slightly. It didn't matter; he'd heard enough anyway.

---------------------------

Clark awoke with a start. "Mom?" he gasped out, aware of how wet his cheeks were.

"No, Clark, it's me." Lex was sitting beside his bed, curled up in a red armchair, a blanket over him.

Clark breathed a little easier. "'m sorry, Lex. I-just a dream."

"What was it about?"

Clark shrugged. "Just nightmares about the lab."

Lex nodded understandingly. "You went through a lot," he said simply. "More than you ever should have had to."

Clark scooted up in bed. "You can go get some sleep, you know. I'll be ok."

Lex shook his head. "I don't want you alone. I know what it's like to have memories manifest themselves in dreams."

Clark only nodded. "And before you left me with Chloe. She's coming back tomorrow, right?"

Lex smiled softly. "Yes. She'll be here tomorrow." Abruptly he yawned and then gave Clark another good-natured smile while kiddingly saying, "And I'll be able to get some sleep then."

Grinning back, Clark slipped back under the covers. "It was good to see my parents."

"I imagine it was."

"Lex?"

"Yes?"

"What was your mother like? I mean I know you've said she was loving and kind but-"

"She was wonderful, Clark. She reminded me of what your mother would be like if she was married to Lionel Luthor. Maybe your mother is a little bit stronger than mine was, because she cracked in the end, but she was a wonderful lady. She loved me more than anything-Julian too."

Clark smiled softly, his eyes beginning to droop. "She sounds wonderful. Why'd she marry your dad though?"

"Arranged marriage. Well, not officially, but her family basically forced them together and put pressure on them to marry. That's why I say she wasn't as strong as your mother was: Because she caved and married him. Her parents were killed shortly after that and Lionel inherited all their estate because it was left to 'Lillian and_ her husband_."

"So your dad took control of everything?"

"Yes."

"Huh."

Lex smiled and leaned back in his chair. "Get some sleep, Clark."

Clark nodded and snuggled back down into the pillow. "Okay." A few minutes later he was out. Lex watched him for a little longer to insure that he was alright and then fell asleep as well, curled in the arm chair.


	16. Chapter 16

Clark woke up around ten AM the next morning to see Lex still slumped, asleep, in the arm chair. He laughed softly as he wondered just how many people ever got to see Lex Luthor relaxed enough to let his guard down. He knew the number was certainly small and probably capable of being counted on one hand.

As if he knew Clark was watching him, Lex opened his eyes. When he saw Clark looking at him he chuckled. "Was I drooling?"

"No, it's just strange to see you..."

"Relax?" Lex finished for him.

Clark nodded. "Yeah."

"I'm only human, Clark. Not all of us can do what you do."

Clark looked as though he were thinking hard about something. "I don't even know if I have to sleep, Lex. I think I do, because I get tired when I don't."

"Clark, you're not that different from being human. In fact you're human, just more..._super_."

That elicited a laugh from Clark. "Yeah, Lex, I'm Superman."

Lex grinned slightly, but his eyes revealed that he was laughing on the inside. "Do you want some breakfast?"

Clark nodded and smiled. "Yeah, eating still remains one of my favorite things."

Clark hoisted himself out of bed and followed Lex as they left the room. Waffles sounded pretty good to him right about then.

------------------------

Jason hadn't expected it to be so easy. Luthor was a _billionaire _after all. Couldn't he actually afford security that kept people out?

Apparently not, because it had been ridiculously easy to get in. The hard part would be finding the hidden room that he'd heard the Kents talk about before someone could actually stop him-someone like Lex.

That worry lessened when he heard Lex's voice in the kitchen saying something about waffles. It ceased to exist when he heard Clark Kent's voice answer him.

This was going to be too easy.

----------------------

"Ever made waffles, Lex?" Clark asked as they walked into the kitchen.

Lex looked at him like he was crazy. "Clark, I've got a whole army of servants to do things like that. If you want waffles they can make them."

Clark shook his head. "Nope, you're going to learn the delicate art that is cooking waffles."

Lex rolled his eyes, but strangely enough found that he was willing to indulge his friend. With a good natured laugh, he easily said, "Alright, go ahead and educate me."

That immediately sent Clark off searching for a waffle iron until Lex pointed out that Clark didn't have to hide his powers from him anymore and that he could simply scan the cupboards for it. Clark gave him a sheepish grin but proceeded to take his advice, resulting in the finding of the waffle pan a lot quicker than it would have previously taken.

Once he got the pan out he asked Lex lightly, "Do you want chocolate chips in the waffles?"

Lex laughed. "I don't think I'd be having the waffle experience if I didn't."

Clark laughed as well. "We can't have that. I think I'll make some extra since Chloe should be here soon as well. Lana's picking her up."

Clark was heading to get the bag of chocolate chips when the door suddenly flew open. Both he and Lex spun around to face the intruder. Jason stood in the doorway, a gun in his hand.

---------------------------------

Lex quickly stepped in front of Clark when he caught sight of Jason. "Jason, put the gun down," he told him calmly. Lex's tone was calm and even, but Clark knew that a tone like that only meant Lex was scared out of his mind. Lex, unlike other people, handled fear by being calm and rational.

Jason laughed bitterly. "You've got to be kidding me." He looked over Lex's shoulder at Clark and yelled, "Last chance Kent! Tell me where the stones are!"

"Jason, you're sick. I can get you help," Lex said in an attempt to placate him.

Jason laughed again and waved his gun before cocking it. "Why are you so desperate to protect this kid, Lex? He could be the answer to your wildest dreams as well as mine! I mean, he's got the stones. Money, power, knowledge-it's all within our grasp!"

Lex swallowed heavily as he felt Clark shift fearfully behind him. "Some things are more important," he replied quietly.

Jason's expression turned incredibly dark. "Yeah? Alright then. Is whatever it is that's making you protect him-is it more important than your life?"

Slowly, as if time had nearly stopped, Jason's gun was turned on Lex. "I'm gonna give you one chance, Luthor. Step aside and let me take him now, and I'll leave you among the living."

Lex paled, but didn't move. "Lex-" Clark said softly from behind him.

"No," he replied decisively after a moment. He shook his head and put up his hands. "No," he repeated.

"Lex, you can't-It's not going to do any good."

Without taking his eyes off of Jason, Lex said, "Run. Get out of here, Clark."

Jason smirked. "You think I wasn't prepared for that possibility? Kent, there's a meteor rock right outside this door, as well as others scattered around the perimeter of this mansion. You'd never get out without being stopped. The only choice you've got now is whether you come quietly and get your friend out of the way or let him die for no reason at all."

Clark swallowed fearfully. "Move, Lex," he told his friend softly.

"No," Lex told him, holding Clark's gaze. Clark stood his ground and went to walk passed Lex. Lex grabbed his shirt and held him there for a second. The second seemed incredibly sort, because they both knew that Lex couldn't physically stop Clark.

There was something akin to pain in Clark's eyes as he used his strength to pull away from Lex and move toward Jason. Jason turned and ushered Clark through the door with a wave of his hand.

Lex stood rooted to the floor in the kitchen. He was watching Clark walk out. Clark was willingly going back to the Hell he'd been in, or rather he was rational enough to realize that he'd be going. The only choice he had was whether Lex would be alive when he went or not.

But Lex couldn't let it happen. He couldn't knowingly let his friend walk back into that.

Before he even knew what he was doing, he was running forward and tackling Jason just as he and Clark had stepped through the door. He expected the muffled grunt Jason made when he hit the ground. He had, however, forgotten about the Kryptonite at the door.

Clark crumpled in a heap. The second Lex spared to look at Clark cost him as Jason took advantage of it to shove Lex off him and deliver a punch to his face before scrambling for the gun.

Lex snapped back into reality and grabbed Jason's coat, yanking him back and bringing a knee to his gut. Jason grunted and yelled, "Son of a Bitch!" Both swung around to face each other, their eyes periodically darting towards the gun on the floor. Both knew whoever came up with the gun would come out on top.

Jason lunged first and Lex caught him, slamming him around into the wall and making another bid for the gun on the floor. It failed when Jason didn't fall from the blow and kicked him in the face, sending him backwards. Blood began to flow and he couldn't see from the pain in his nose. The ominous sound of gun being picked up off the floor could be heard.

Lex didn't even attempt to stem the flow of the blood as his vision cleared. He didn't think his nose was broken, but it really was a moot point since he was probably about to get shot. Once his vision completely cleared he looked up to see Jason holding him at gun point again.

As quickly as he could he crawled over to Clark where he was laying beside the meteor rock. Clark moaned a little as Lex picked up the rock and threw it away from his friend. Clark took a moment to recover, but was able to sit up pretty quickly, immediatly taking a hold of his sleeve. Lex let him, even though he would have much preferred Clark make a break for it. Jason seemed to realize he was thinking along those lines, but instead of being angry, he only smiled. "It doesn't matter, Lex. There are dozens more in the mansion. He'd never make it out without your help."

Jason brought the gun even with his head. "And he's not going to have you to help him."

Lex squeezed his eyes shut and Clark's grip on his arm became almost painful. That was short lived because he opened his eyes again as he heard a soft thump on the floor and then felt Clark fall against him. His sight showed him that Jason had taken a rock out of a lead container that he'd had in his pocket and that he'd tossed it next to Clark.

"Couldn't have him interfering," Jason said softly. His finger began to pull back on the trigger and Lex shut his eyes again, clutching Clark. He hoped death wouldn't hurt.


	17. Chapter 17

This is the last chapter of this story, so everyone **_review!_** Thanks for reading and I hope you enjoyed this story.

A gunshot went off a second later, and Lex steeled himself for the pain of the bullet ripping through his flesh.

But it never came.

Slowly, almost afraid to look, he opened his eyes yet again. The sight that met him was the furthest thing from what he'd expected.

Chloe was standing over the body of Jason Teague with a gun in her hand. There was blood spreading along Jason's shirt from a wound in his back. Chloe looked absolutely shocked.

Lex came back to his senses a moment later when Clark whimpered from his position against him. Immediately grabbing the rock, Lex took it and threw it down the hallway. "Chloe," he whispered as Clark sat up next to him.

Tears were starting in her eyes as she stared at the corpse on the floor in front of her. "I-I shot him," she said breathlessly.

Lex stood up and wiped at the blood on his face. It was no use as it just kept coming, but it made him feel better. Clark stood up behind him. "Chloe," he heard Clark murmur.

He watched as Chloe took one step and then two. Before Lex could really even register it, she was running into Clark's arms. Her face was immediately buried in his neck, her soft yellow hair being gently stroked by Clark's large hands.

Lex could tell that she was crying, sobbing even. "Clark, I-I just came in and he-he had the gun on Lex and I heard him s-say-"

"Shhh," Clark whispered. "It's going to be alright, Chlo."

Lex watched them from his place in the hall. He was slightly surprised when, from over Chloe's shoulder, Clark raised his eyes to meet Lex's. "Thank you," Clark mouthed softly before he returned his attention to Chloe.

----------------------------

Lex had taken care of Jason's body. He'd simply had it dumped on the side of the road with a gun beside it. He set it all up to look like suicide. There had been many suicides since the second meteor shower due to people loosing everything (house, family, friends, etc.) and since Jason had lost his mother it was easy to make it look real.

Jason's death may have been easy to fix, but everything else wasn't. Chloe, to his surprise, seemed to be the most in control. She'd shot a man, but for some reason she wasn't in a state of shock at what she'd done. Lex remembered when he'd shot Nixon and found that he had to commend her for her inner strength.

Clark, as always, had a terrible guilt complex and, despite reassurance that it wasn't his fault, he blamed himself. Clark parents had come to get him a few hours after Jason had died. Lex had hoped that they'd be able to ease Clark's guilt, but as of yet it seemed they hadn't.

Lex himself was feeling...strange. Not guilty, not upset, just.._.strange_. It was almost like he didn't know why any of it had happened, or how it had happened.

How it had actually happened was really a bit strange, and maybe that was why Lex had trouble believing it. Chloe had been driven back to the mansion by Lana because she wanted to see Clark. Lana had realized that she'd lost her cell phone once she and Chloe had entered the mansion and had gone back to the car to get it. Chloe hadn't waited for her and had ended walking in on Jason about to shoot Lex.

Chloe had been carrying a gun since she'd gotten out of the hospital since Jason was still at large. Before she'd really thought about it she'd pulled it out and shot Jason. She hadn't regretted it after either, she said. Lex was pretty sure she wasn't lying since, after all, Chloe would probably do anything for Clark. He knew that_ he_ hadn't regretted shooting Nixon.

Lana had come up the stairs to find her x-boyfriend dead on the floor and Chloe in Clark's arms. She'd started crying and Lex suspected that it was probably more due to Chloe and Clark than the fact that Jason was lying in his own blood. Lex had never questioned her though-she didn't need that.

Lex sighed. He thought that maybe he'd go see how Clark was doing.

-------------------------

Clark had come home with his parents just a few hours after the shooting. Lex had promised him that it would all be taken care of and that nobody would link anything to Chloe. He trusted Lex; he knew that he would do as he said.

Chloe had been calm and collected after the initial shock. She'd told Clark that she'd come by the farm later to see him and then had gone home to see her father. Lana had gone with her, still crying.

When his parents had showed up to take him home they'd hugged him tightly and his mother had even cried. Clark didn't like that. He was positive that he'd had enough crying for a lifetime.

Clark nearly choked when they pulled into the driveway of the farm that afternoon. His parents had done a good job patching up the house, but it was clearly still in the 'fixing stage'. Clark hadn't wanted to sit still and examine his own thoughts so he'd used his speed and fixed the place.

All through dinner his parents kept giving him looks that could only be described as sympathetic. Clark hadn't liked it, so he'd retreated to his loft after dinner.

That was where he was at the moment. The names of the dead had come out in the papers and so he was looking at their pictures in his old high school year book, reminiscing about a simpler time, although his life had never been anywhere near simple. Jocelyn Moody, Amanda Bryce, Nick Connor, Justin Kingsley: They were a few of the people in his class who had been counted among the dead. Jason's picture was in there too, labeled as 'assistant coach'.

It was strange to look at people he'd seen at graduation who had died a few hours later. The last time he'd seen them they hadn't had any idea that their lives were coming to a close. They hadn't had any glimmer of a clue that one of their classmates was the reason for the meteor shower and, indirectly, their deaths.

Jason looked so normal in his picture. He looked like the friendly coach that Clark had felt he'd been able to confide in-at least a little bit. He didn't look anything like the man who had gone crazy just a short time later.

The footsteps on the stairs interrupted his little walk down memory lane. He looked up to find Chloe standing at the top of his stairs. "Hey, Chloe," he said with a small smile.

She smiled back and headed over towards the couch. "What are you looking at?" she asked as she plopped down next to him.

He tipped the yearbook over for her to see. "Just...thinking."

"I've tried to stop doing that over the last few hours," she told him seriously. "Sometimes it's just...easier, you know?"

He nodded. "Yeah, I guess I know that pretty well. I-I try not to think about what happened in the lab, but when I sleep-"

She put a hand on his shoulder comfortingly. "Clark, you went through something that no one should ever have to go through. Admitting that it's affecting you shouldn't be something that you're ashamed of."

He sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "I know, I really do…it's just that it's so hard to talk about."

She nodded. "This whole thing was hard, but life will go on." Clark didn't protest when she slid her hand to his face and turned him so that he was looking at her. "You've got people who will help you move on."

Their faces moved closer until they were a scant few inches apart. "Chloe?" Clark whispered, his breath fanning over her lips.

"Yes?" she replied softly.

"I think I might love you."

She smiled softly and brought their lips together. The kiss that followed was both hungry and passionate, as well as tender and rough at the same time. It was raw want and need manifesting. When they pulled away she grinned. "I _know_ I love you."

Clark smiled to himself. He knew she meant it.

------------------------

Chloe had left around nine that night. Clark was left sitting alone in his barn, thinking. After a little while he couldn't stand it anymore, so he took a book, curled up in his hammock, and began to read. That eased his mind some and, before he knew it, he was asleep.

_"Where are the stones?"_

_"What are you hiding?"_

_"Tell me!"_

_He was back in the lab again, tied down to the hospital bed. He couldn't get away and the tip of the needle was getting closer and closer to his neck and-_

"Wake up, Clark!"

Hands were on him, shaking him as if life itself depended on his awakening. He forced himself to come back through the fog of slumber.

His eyes shot open and he was met with Lex. Lex visibly relaxed when he saw Clark wake up. He breathed out deeply and set to work unwinding Clark from the blanket that was wrapped around himself. "You shouldn't be sleeping out here," Lex told him seriously. "If I hadn't come along you'd still be screaming." He finished untangling Clark and held up the still-intact blanket. "Apparently you can convince yourself that you don't have super-human strength when you sleep."

Clark sat up and climbed out of the hammock. "S-Sorry. I didn't mean to fall asleep. I was-"

"Reading?" Lex finished for him, while bending over and picking up the book on the floor.

"Yeah," he confirmed, dropping his eyes.

"I'm not mad, Clark," Lex soothed. "I'm just worried about you."

"I'm fine, Lex," he replied, completely unconvincingly.

Lex raised an eyebrow and motioned for Clark to join him on the couch. "Please forgive me if I don't buy that. You were tied up in a lab and cut open. _No one_ is alright after that."

Clark slowly raised his eyes to look at Lex. "I can't let this destroy me."

"No you can't," Lex agreed with a nod. "But if you keep trying to bury and ignore it, it will."

With a sigh, Clark ran a hand through his hair. "It's hard to talk about."

"Understandable. But you've got a great family, friends, and Chloe-I'm really not sure what to call her."

Clark smiled softly. "The make out session that directly preceded your arrival might help you decide."

Lex laughed. "Clark Kent: All American farm boy, getting some."

Clark shook his head. "It's not like that, I-"

"I didn't mean to imply that you were using her."

Clark sighed again. "I know. I'm just-"

"Not at your best."

"Yeah," he agreed, the frustration in his voice mounting. "I close my eyes and I see the lab. I see Jason and the-"

Both slipped off into silence. Lex was the one who finally broke it. "I know this is hard to believe, Clark, but things will get better. Memories will fade."

Clark only nodded. "I hope so."

Lex leaned back against the couch for a moment and then leaned forward to get to his feet. "I'd better be going. Go in the house and get some sleep."

Clark nodded and then watched him walk down the stairs before getting up himself and going to the loft window. It was a brilliantly clear night and Clark could see all the stars. He remembered the time that he'd stood with Lex at that window and Lex had told him how the past always influenced the present. He'd told him about how some of the stars had been extinguished for years, but the light was only reaching earth now.

Clark watched the stars. Lex had been right, he realized. Who you are is made up of what you've been, as well as what you want to become. The past is an intricate part of who you are, but it is not everything. His experiences in the lab would undoubtedly influence him, but they would not completely make him.

He looked up at the stars again. Things might not be easy, but he had the friends and family to help make it better. _Things would get better._

---------------------------- Epilogue

Clark had been right when he thought things would get better. He applied for college at Kansas Central, staying close to his parents and the farm. Thing between him and Chloe heated up, and they officially started dating. Lana and he remained close friends and she became someone that he found he could really talk to. It was easier without any romantic feelings involved.

That wasn't to say that romantic feelings made it hard to talk to Chloe. She helped him through the months after his experiences in the lab, as did Lex. It wasn't easy, but life eventually went back to normal.

Clark wouldn't ever forget what had happened, but it wouldn't destroy him either. With the help of his friends and family it made him stronger. As Lex had predicted, things got better. When asked about it he laughed and said it had at least gotten him Chloe. People had thought he was joking when he said that. He wasn't.

Dealing with what had happened might not have been easy, but in the long run it was worth it.


End file.
